CofE School of the Resurrection

CofE School of the Resurrection Inspection report

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105547 Unique Reference Number Manchester Local Authority 324240 Inspection number 5–6 May 2009 Inspection dates Terry McDermott Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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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 239 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mr A Harland Chair Ms M Hogarth Headteacher 12 July 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Pilgrim Drive School address Beswick Manchester Lancashire M11 3TJ 0161 2233163 Telephone number 0161 2233163 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 5–6 May 2009 Inspection dates 324240 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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: CofE School of the Resurrection, 5–6 May 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

This average size school serves the community of Beswick, an area of significant social and economic disadvantage close to the city centre of Manchester. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is above the national average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is similar to the national average. The proportions of pupils who are learning English as an additional language, have learning difficulties and/or disabilities or who have a statement of special educational need, are all below the national average. The Early Years Foundation Stage comprises a Nursery and a Reception class. The school holds several awards including the Activemark and Artsmark Gold. A large extension and refurbishment development has recently been completed.

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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: CofE School of the Resurrection, 5–6 May 2009

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with several outstanding features. Pupils have continued to thrive in a safe and supportive environment during a period of disruption caused by rebuilding. The work of the school is recognised by parents and is exemplified in comments such as: 'My daughter has bloomed', and 'All staff have great empathy towards the children, and as a parent this brings me great comfort'. Achievement is good. Children join the Nursery with skills below those expected for their age. Pupils leave Year 6 with standards which are consistently above average, and sometimes significantly so. Though progress varies a little from year-to-year because of inconsistencies in teaching throughout the school, all groups of pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress over their time in the school. Pupils' personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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Grade: 2

development is outstanding. Promoting pupils' self-esteem and their ability to value and care for others is central to the school's ethos. This, together with the good development of their literacy, numeracy, artistic and creative skills, means that pupils quickly develop the attitudes and knowledge needed to make them responsible citizens. They leave Year 6 as very mature, well rounded and confident young people, well prepared to take their place in the world. Teaching and learning are good overall, but inconsistent in some classes. Pupils' attitudes to learning are very good throughout the school. The best teaching moves learning along at a good pace. There is an expectation that pupils will think for themselves, with challenging work set at levels which closely match individual pupil's learning needs. These lessons ensure that pupils make good and sometimes outstanding progress. In some classes teaching does not

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Grade: 2

always engage pupils quickly enough, because teachers spend too long describing what pupils are going to do. Pupils become passive listeners instead of active learners. In these few lessons, pupils' progress is satisfactory. The curriculum is excellent. It is inspirational and ensures that standards at the end of Year 6 are consistently above average. It is very creative, with a strong artistic focus and links subjects together in innovative ways. Pupils' beautiful artwork adorns the school. Pupils are provided with a wide range of regular high quality enrichment opportunities, for example, meeting flying and ground personnel from 617 Squadron RAF, an enduring link over many years, or spending time with the Archbishop of Canterbury. They perform music, song, dance, or mime the Passion of Christ, in professional theatres and on television and most importantly, to other pupils in the school, and to their parents. This curriculum successfully opens the door to aspiration and

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Grade: 2

ambition both for pupils and the local community. The care, guidance and support provided by the school are good. Clear strengths lie in the excellent relationships between pupils and adults, and the complete trust the pupils have in these relationships. They are based on a relentless drive for respect for the individual, understanding and cooperation, values which lie at the very heart of all that the school does. Most pupils speak with confidence about their targets and how they propose to meet them. Leadership and management are good, but because of recent and impending retirements and promotions, a great deal of responsibility currently falls on the shoulders of the excellent headteacher. Middle leaders do not yet take on full accountability in their areas of responsibility. The school, through its excellent self- evaluation process, knows its strengths and areas for 4 of 11 Inspection Report: CofE School of the Resurrection, 5–6 May 2009

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Grade: 2

improvement well. It has maintained high standards through a period of disruption and has good capacity to secure further improvement.

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Grade: 2

Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are below those normally expected, particularly in their communication, language and literacy skills and in their personal and social development. There is a clear focus on building children's communication skills. Adults act as good role models for them, being calm, friendly, caring and respectful. As a result children make good progress in these areas. By the end of Reception, the large majority reach standards that are broadly in line with those expected nationally. Relationships are excellent and consequently the children are confident and well behaved. A high priority is given to ensuring that all children feel safe and happy. Welfare provision meets requirements. Children from different cultures and backgrounds work and play well together. There is a good balance between adult-led activities and those which children choose for themselves. Indoor facilities

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Grade: 2

are good and give children a rich and stimulating environment in which to learn. Outdoor facilities are satisfactory, but access for children is a little restricted because of a lack of some protective clothing. There are very good partnerships with parents/carers and these ensure that children's learning is supported outside school. Leadership and management of the unit are satisfactory. The Early Years Foundation Stage coordinator is new to her post and reorganisation is already planned to make provision even more effective, by making better use of information from assessments to help individual children make the next steps, particularly from Nursery to Reception class.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure more lessons are of good or outstanding quality.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that middle leaders throughout the school take responsibility for their specific areas of work.

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Grade: 2

Pupils reach above average standards because the outstanding curriculum has something for everybody and ensures that all achieve well. From below average starting points children achieve well and start Year 1 with standards in line with those that are nationally expected. Pupils continue to make good progress in Years 1 and 2, and by the time they leave Key Stage 1, standards are above average. This has been the case for several years. Provisional results from the national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2008 showed that, as in preceding years, standards were above average. These pupils made satisfactory progress from their above average starting points. The school's reliable tracking system indicates that pupils are now making good progress in most classes throughout the school. No group of pupils underachieves.

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Grade: 1

Pupils are polite, friendly and welcoming. Behaviour is excellent, and pupils say they always feel safe and happy. They are insistent that bullying does not occur, adding 'Anyway, if it did, it would be quickly stopped and sorted out'. They like coming to school, as shown through their above average attendance, and exemplified by comments from parents such as, 'My son 5 of 11 Inspection Report: CofE School of the Resurrection, 5–6 May 2009 enjoys school so much that even when he has not been well he has insisted on going'. Pupils take on responsibility in many ways throughout the school, including as members of the active school council. Through generous hard work, they raise significant charitable funds to help others who are 'not as lucky as us in coming to this school'. They understand the need for regular exercise and talk at length about the impact of this and of healthy eating. They readily take part in many physical and sporting activities and know the positive effects of exercise on

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Grade: 1

the body. Pupils make an excellent contribution to their own community through widespread involvement in performances which celebrate and showcase what they can and have achieved. Because of their good standards in English and mathematics and their excellent personal development, they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good, but it is inconsistent. All lessons are characterised by excellent relationships between adults and pupils. Pupils have good attitudes to learning and consistently behave very well. This is due to the high standard of politeness, tolerance and respect expected throughout the school. The best lessons are well planned with clear learning objectives, which extend pupils' previous knowledge and understanding. They move along at a good pace and demand sustained concentration. Pupils speak confidently about how the work they are set helps them to reach their targets for improvement. In these lessons, pupils are consistently challenged to work independently, to think for themselves and to take on responsibility for their own learning. Pupils make rapid progress because teachers set tasks which closely meet their learning needs. In some other lessons, teachers spend too much time

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Grade: 2

explaining to each group of pupils what they are going to do. Other groups sit patiently waiting their turn. In these lessons, teaching does not challenge pupils enough, the pace of learning drops because time is not used to best effect and the progress pupils make inevitably slows.

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Grade: 1

Pupils benefit greatly from an excellent curriculum. The breadth of exciting learning opportunities on offer ensures that all pupils find something which engages and motivates them. Whether through beautiful artwork, music, dramatic performance, sport, or academic subjects, all pupils are able gain inspiration and success. This is enriched by very strong links with the Royal Air Force, initiated by the pupils themselves, which has resulted in regular and continuing residential visits to Lossiemouth and Kinloss air bases in Scotland, and meeting with several bishops of the Church of England, including the annual visit to Lambeth Palace to meet the Archbishop of Canterbury. These and many other cultural and creative experiences do much for pupils' personal development and for their understanding of the wider world. The school provides a stimulating learning environment with many examples of pupils' high quality work

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Grade: 1

to motivate others and raise aspirations.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. Current government requirements for safeguarding are met. The school cares very well for its pupils, both in promoting their academic skills and in 6 of 11 Inspection Report: CofE School of the Resurrection, 5–6 May 2009 supporting their personal development and well-being. Very good links with parents and outside professional and other agencies underpin the school's work. Vulnerable pupils, pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those for whom English is an additional language, are helped with accurately targeted and quickly placed support by a team of well trained teaching assistants. As result, they achieve equally as well as other pupils. Most work is marked well, giving pupils good guidance on what they need to do to improve. The school's effective assessment and tracking system is used well to set targets

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Grade: 2

The headteacher's excellent leadership has been instrumental in maintaining above average standards during a time of rebuild and refurbishment. This is recognised by parents, and typified by the comment, 'Due to exceptional leadership, we do not mind travelling to get here'. She is well supported by the experienced deputy headteacher. The school runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis and staff morale is high. The school's honest and objective self-evaluation accurately informs the school improvement process. However, this process does not involve middle leaders enough, and the headteacher carries a significant workload. Community cohesion is promoted very well, and the school's links with its local community partners are excellent. The school is a calm and harmonious place, where inclusion for all is the central tenet and excellent work is done to eliminate discrimination. Governance is satisfactory. The governors

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Grade: 2

are supportive of the school, but are not yet in a position to hold the school fully to account for its results. The school sets itself challenging targets which are usually exceeded. It has maintained high standards during a period of disruption, and has good capacity to secure further improvement. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: CofE School of the Resurrection, 5–6 May 2009 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: CofE School of the Resurrection, 5–6 May 2009

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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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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? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 3 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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: CofE School of the Resurrection, 5–6 May 2009

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 1 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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: CofE School of the Resurrection, 5–6 May 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you very much for making us so welcome when we inspected your school recently. We were very impressed with your excellent behaviour, your outstanding attitudes to learning and your smiling faces. We were also most impressed with your beautiful artwork on display as an inspiration for others all around the school, and the wonderful performance of the Resurrection dancers in assembly. I can understand why you enjoy being in school. Yours is a good school with several outstanding features. These outstanding features are:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the rich and varied curriculum which gives each one of you the opportunity to succeed

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ your excellent personal development which ensures that you leave school as well-mannered, confident, ambitious and mature young people ■ the excellent leadership of your dedicated and enthusiastic headteacher who strives continually to give you all the best possible learning experiences. We found that two areas of the school's work could be improved. So we have asked the school to do the following:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ make sure that lessons are more consistently of good or better quality

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ ensure that more adults take responsibility for helping the school to improve 11 of 11 Inspection Report: CofE School of the Resurrection, 5–6 May 2009

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