St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Bolton Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of leadership and management, including governance, by:
  • ensuring that all staff, including middle leaders and teachers, have access to comprehensive assessment information on the many different groups of pupils in the school
  • making sure that all governors have a precise understanding of how pupils’ performance compares with that of other pupils nationally
  • ensuring that the school’s marking and feedback policy is consistently implemented by teachers.
• Improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement by:
  • challenging and supporting middle-ability pupils even further, for them to reach the higher levels in all subjects, including reading, writing and mathematics
  • enhancing pupils’ confidence and developing their skills to tackle more challenging books.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• This is a harmonious and cohesive school. The strong and effective leadership of the headteacher permeates throughout St Matthew’s. Staff morale is high and cultural diversity is celebrated. The school’s core Christian values of love, respect, creativity and friendship are evident in attractive displays of pupils’ work, teachers’ and teaching assistants’ curriculum planning and in the mutual respect shown between staff and pupils.
• With the full support of governors and his senior leadership team, the headteacher has built on the good work of his predecessor to ensure that the quality of teaching and standards for pupils have been sustained since the previous inspection.
• Leaders responsible for improving outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics play a full role in making sure that the quality of all teaching is at least good. They do this through offering teachers and teaching assistants good advice on how to improve their practice, finding out pupils’ views on their learning and creating action plans to help tackle any weaknesses in teaching and learning.
• Specialists responsible for subjects other than English and mathematics have clear priorities for improving the quality of teaching in their respective areas. In science, there is a focus on working with staff to bring the subject to life through experiments and investigations. In physical education, the school has focused on ensuring that external coaches provide value for money and staff are accredited for the training they complete. All subject specialists check planning and help colleagues ensure that their classrooms are stimulating, interesting and conducive to good learning.
• Senior leaders ensure that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. As a result, they make good progress across the school in a wide range of subjects.
• Senior leaders use additional funding for disadvantaged pupils to good effect. Funding has been used to recruit additional teachers and to ensure that pupils can participate in all aspects of school life. This includes the breakfast club, educational visits and after-school clubs. School assessment information, and work in pupils’ books, indicate that differences between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally are rapidly diminishing.
• Work to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is outstanding. British values are promoted exceptionally well across the school. Pupils have a well-developed understanding of world religions, including Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism and Islam. The holy books for each are available in most classes. Pupils enjoy going to the theatre, exploring local history, participate in ‘magic days’, Chinese New Year Celebrations and Diwali events. Pupils play various musical instruments and enjoy visual and performing arts.
• Pupils have a deep empathy for those less fortunate than themselves and regularly raise money for good causes. Pupils enjoy putting democratic principles into practice. They do this through ordered discussions in class and when voting for school council members.
• Pupils benefit from a stimulating curriculum which captures their interests and promotes their reading, writing and mathematical skills well across a wide range of subjects.
• The primary school sports funding is spent well to increase pupils’ participation in a wide range of sports, including fencing, rugby, netball, dance and athletics. Qualified coaches work alongside staff to develop their skills in teaching various sporting activities. Recent surveys indicate that staff are confident in teaching sports such as hockey and gymnastics.
• The overwhelming majority of parents are highly positive about the school. This includes parents whose children have had little or no formal education and those families recently arrived in the country from conflict zones. Parents are appreciative of English language and parenting (behaviour management) classes. All those who completed the online survey, Parent View, believe their children are safe and well looked after at school.
• Senior leaders hold wide-ranging assessment information on the performance of various groups of pupils. This is used highly effectively during regular pupil progress meetings to identify additional support for any pupils who are in danger of falling behind. However, this information is yet to be shared with all key staff. As a result, such staff do not have an overview of the performance of different groups of pupils.
• The school has a good and productive relationship with the local authority, which has supported the school in several areas. Quite righty, the local authority is happy with the progress made by the school since the previous inspection and, more recently, under the new headteacher. Most recently, training has been provided to staff to help improve pupils’ reading. The local authority supports the school in moderating pupils’ performance, including in the early years.

Governance of the school

• Governors are aware of the challenges that senior leaders and teachers face, given the ever-changing make-up of the school and the high level of pupil mobility throughout the school year. Nonetheless, they celebrate the school’s cultural diversity and help to ensure that funding is spent well to support the good progress of all pupils.
• Governors know exactly how additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is spent. They know that it is making a difference in improving the progress of eligible pupils and in ensuring their participation in all aspects of school life.
• Governors receive regular reports from the headteacher and senior leaders, and these provide useful information on how well teachers are performing. Reports, coupled with governors’ good first-hand knowledge of the school, enable them to make informed choices in relation to promotions and pay awards.
• Governors have good skills and are trained well. Regular skills audits help the chair of the governing body to identify any skills gaps and ensure that training is targeted where it is most needed.
• Governors have a good understanding of how well most groups of pupils are performing. The precise knowledge of some governors, regarding how well pupils’ performance compares with that of other pupils nationally, is still developing.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Safeguarding procedures are effective. All members of staff sign a disclaimer when they join the school to indicate that they have read the latest government guidance on keeping pupils safe in education, as well as the school’s own safeguarding policies and procedures.
• All adults involved in the school are identified on the school’s single central record. All necessary checks are carried out to ensure that staff meet all statutory requirements relating to their suitability to work with children.
• Nominated safeguarding leads, including staff and governors, are trained to the highest level. This ensures their vigilance in identifying signs of neglect and concerns regarding the welfare of pupils.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching and learning are good across all phases. Teachers and teaching assistants work exceptionally well together to make learning interesting. This helps to ensure that pupils of all abilities make at least good progress in all classes.
• Pupils learn in bright, stimulating classrooms. The cultural diversity of the school is reflected in displays of African art, celebrations from various cultures and artefacts, including holy books from different religions. This approach to making pupils feel valued is replicated throughout the school and supports pupils’ learning well.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge. In all subjects, they focus on improving pupils’ grammar and punctuation. Regular assessments are having a positive impact on pupils’ spelling.
• Almost all teaching is cross-curricular, enabling pupils to see the links between different subjects. This was exemplified in an upper key stage 2 class, where pupils were learning about Mayan gods and goddesses. While one group used laptops to carry out research and write about different mythical characters, another honed their artistic skills while creating paintings of various gods.
• Teachers’ effective work on problem solving and applying mathematics is consistently good throughout the school. This was shown in two lower key stage 2 classes, where pupils were learning how to transfer information from a bar chart to a pictogram, creating their own information key. While lower-ability pupils could create symbols to represent different number on their pictograms, the most able could interrogate the information accurately and create more sophisticated pictograms.
• In another key stage 2 class, pupils, having carried out a survey to find out their class mates’ smoothie flavour preferences, discussed various possible designs for their smoothie cups. The lesson progressed with a sense of urgency and excitement as pupils discussed how they could make and market their smoothies to raise money for charity. However, sometimes tasks are not sufficiently challenging, particularly for middle-ability pupils. On these occasions, pupils do not make the progress they are capable of.
• Phonics teaching is good. This was evident in a key stage 1 class where pupils were learning to sound out and read words with the ‘ure’ sound. Building on work learned in previous lessons, pupils could confidently read words such as ‘mature’, ‘pure’ and ‘cure’ and put these words into sentences.
• Quite rightly, one of the main priorities for the school is to improve pupils’ reading. At times, pupils’ learning is not developed or extended fully, as the texts they read are not sufficiently challenging.
• All pupils know what ‘RAR’ is, read and respond. This is the system that teachers use to ensure that time is allowed for pupils to look at their comments and improve their work. However, the very best practice in this area is yet to be fully shared across the school, to ensure that all pupils know exactly what they need to do to improve their learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils at St Matthew’s school are confident, thoughtful and inquisitive learners. Since the previous inspection, their resilience has been enhanced, as has their willingness to think deeply about their work and learn from their mistakes.
• Pupils who spoke with inspectors said that they know that they can talk to any member of staff about any concerns they might have. They are especially confident in talking to teachers and the pastoral manager.
• Pupils from a wide range of different cultural and religious backgrounds, including those who join the school at different times during the school year, get on exceptionally well. This is because of the school’s highly effective work to promote tolerance and mutual respect. As a result, pupils feel valued.
• Pupils have a good understanding of internet safety. They know how to stay safe when online and when using any form of electronic communication. Pupils are conversant with the school’s safety rules and respect the school’s internet restrictions. Pupils know to talk to their teachers or parents if they are not sure if a website or social networking site is safe.
• Pupils learn to be responsible citizens and relish all opportunities to help each other. They are prepared to ‘buddy up’ with anyone who does not have a friend and enjoy participating on the school council. Senior leaders are currently extending pupils’ responsibilities to include playground pals.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils’ behaviour in class is exemplary. Here they listen carefully and respect their classmates’ views. Pupils show their eagerness to learn through volunteering to answer questions and staying behind at breaktime to complete work and pursue their academic interests.
• Pupils are courteous and polite. They open doors without prompting and enjoy welcoming visitors into the school. Pupils’ care and consideration help to ensure that the school environment, inside and out, is pristine. Pupils are proud of their work, exceptionally well displayed throughout the school, and behave sensibly and safely when moving around the school during lunchtime and playtimes.
• Pupils wear the St Matthew’s school uniform with pride. They extend this pride to the presentation of their work.
• Pupils’ attendance has improved since the previous inspection and is edging ever closer to the national average. Senior leaders’ work to encourage good attendance is increasingly effective as parents come to understand the close relationship between good attendance and good achievement.
• Pupils have a good understanding of racism, which they say very rarely happens in school. Their knowledge of homophobic bullying is less well developed. However, the headteacher and pastoral manager are championing this cause and are in the process of sharing their expertise with staff and incorporating issues relating to sexuality and family structures into the curriculum.
• All staff take a consistent approach to managing behaviour and applying the school’s rewards and sanctions policies. Work in this area is highly effective and helps to ensure that the school is a calm and purposeful place.
• Pupils who spoke with inspectors indicated that behaviour is good almost all the time. Teachers and the majority of parents are of this view too. Inspection evidence, including an examination of the school’s behaviour logs, indicates that behaviour is typically good over time.
• Pupils told inspectors that they always ‘stop, listen, look and think’ before crossing roads and wear luminous ‘snap on’ reflective wristbands when they are out at night.
• Various visitors, including community police support officers, firefighters and members of the local road safety team, help pupils to understand dangers and minimise risks.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Historically, pupils’ attainment has been below average in all subjects at the end of both key stages, while progress has been above average. For example, national data indicates that at the end of Year 6 in 2015, pupils made outstanding progress in reading, writing and mathematics. However, their attainment was below average in all subjects.
• In 2016, progress was below average in reading, average in writing and above average in mathematics. Progress in reading was significantly above average for a small cohort of low-ability disadvantaged pupils, as it was in mathematics for a small cohort of high-ability pupils.
• In 2016, attainment was below average in all subjects at the end of key stage 1 and in reading, writing, mathematics and grammar and punctuation at the end of key stage 2. However, national data does not tell the full story of achievement in St Matthew’s school.
• The school has the challenge of unusually high levels of mobility during term time. In addition, the school has doubled in size since the previous inspection and takes in large numbers of pupils with little or no English. In these circumstances, the school is doing a good job in raising standards, which are rapidly improving this year in all subjects.
• During the inspection, senior leaders provided compelling evidence indicating that pupils make accelerated progress in reading, writing, mathematics, and grammar, spelling and punctuation, often from low starting points. Many of those who stay with the school long-term make outstanding progress.
• Good phonics teaching has helped to ensure that over the last three years, an increasing number of pupils have been secure in their skills and knowledge at the national phonics screening check. In 2016, a just below average proportion was secure at the check at the end of Year 1. An average proportion was secure at the end of Year 2.
• Pupils enjoy reading. Their reading logs indicate that they read regularly at home and in school. Those pupils who read for inspectors read with confidence and good expression. Less-able readers could use their phonics skills to sound out and read unfamiliar words.
• Work in the books of pupils who speak English as an additional language shows that these pupils often make outstanding progress. This is due to the skill and dedication of the specialist language coordinator, the effective work to support parents in acquiring English, and the high expectations that all staff have of these pupils.
• Senior leaders can provide compelling evidence of good progress made by those pupils who arrive at the school at times other than at the beginning of the academic year with little or no English, a considerable challenge where such pupils have poor reading and writing skills in their own language. Nonetheless, pupils are soon fully integrated into the school and achieve well.
• Excellent support is provided for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those with education, health and care plans or a statement of special educational needs. Good communication with parents and well-developed links with a wide range of specialist partners help to ensure that such pupils make good progress, often from very low starting points.
• Plans to raise levels of achievement in mathematics are well coordinated across both key stages 1 and 2 by well-trained and clearly focused specialists. Their emphasis on mathematics mastery, weekly sessions on using and applying mathematics and regular assessments of pupils’ skills are all helping to raise standards.
• The school’s own data, and work in pupils’ books, show that disadvantaged pupils made good progress across most groups last academic year and continue to do so this year. However, these pupils remain a priority for the school as their progress in some areas, such as phonics, lags behind that of other pupils nationally. Intensive phonics teaching observed during the inspection is having a positive impact on outcomes for this group of pupils, who are making accelerated progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils’ progress in writing is good. Pupils love writing, especially about their many educational trips and visits, and take great care in the presentation of their work. Good advice given to pupils and regular assessments have ensured that pupils’ spelling is good. Their grammar and punctuation is improving.
• There are few high-attaining pupils in the school; the majority are middle ability. Senior leaders understand that one of their biggest challenges is to ensure that these pupils are consistently given work that stretches them in their learning and raises their levels of attainment. Harder work in English and mathematics is bearing fruit, as pupils develop in confidence to tackle harder mathematical problems and more challenging texts.

Early years provision Good

• The leadership and management of the early years are good; provision is exceptionally strong. Staff are trained well and have a good understanding of the early years development goals and how children learn.
• Children enter the Nursery class with skills and abilities below those typically expected for their age. The school’s accurate, moderated checks on children’s skills on entry indicate that children’s speaking, listening and communication skills are especially weak. Nonetheless, good teaching, stimulating provision and the strong bonds that children form with adults all help to ensure that children make at least good progress through the Nursery and Reception classes.
• The proportion of children attaining a good level of development by the time they were ready to join Year 1 in 2016 was below average. However, this proportion is much higher than at the time of the previous inspection. Children are currently making accelerated progress, particularly in writing and mathematics.
• Staff regularly observe children and assess their performance in different areas of learning. Children’s learning is captured and recorded in their learning journeys. Large formal books further document children’s achievements and are shared with parents.
• Almost all children in the early years speak English as an additional language, and a significant proportion is newly arrived to the country and still in the process of acquiring English. These pupils make the same accelerated progress as their peers.
• Children enjoy physical activity. This was evident in the Reception class during a football session. Children were engaged, motivated and behaved well. The teacher’s expectations of children were high as she demonstrated how to control and kick a football.
• Plenty of opportunities are available for children to explore their stimulating and vibrant indoor and outdoor learning environment. Teachers intervene to direct children towards appropriate resources, but only when necessary. Children are curious learners and capable of finding out things for themselves, expressing their curiosity and good problem-solving skills.
• As in the Reception classes, displays in the Nursery are relevant to key skills and current topics. Reading areas are inviting and writing materials are readily available. All areas of learning are well defined and reflect all cultures. All members of staff are effectively deployed and resources are plentiful. This includes for art, communication and technology, counting and measuring, role play, exploring materials such as water, sand and soil, cooking and shopping. This provision ensures children’s good and sometimes outstanding progress.
• During the inspection, the weekly story was ‘Little Red Riding Hood’. All areas in the Reception were thoughtfully linked to themes in this story. The most able girls were keen to demonstrate their excellent writing, other children were happy to act out scenes from the story wearing a red cloak, while in the outside area children were encouraged to write a letter to grandma, warning her of the wolf’s imminent arrival.
• Children’s safety is given the highest possible priority. All areas of the Nursery and Reception classes are secure, with fob-entry access only. Risk assessments are in place for all outside activities and children’s trips and visits.
• Children play safely at all times. They are familiar with the daily routines of getting ready to play outside. They follow instructions carefully. Children are careful and considerate when playing on their wheeled toys, using climbing frames, digging in the soil area and engaging in construction projects.
• Parents who spoke with inspectors said that communication with the early years staff is good. Parents say staff are supportive and that they are happy with the progress their children are making. Parents appreciate sessions run by staff which keep them informed about developments in phonics, writing and mathematics.
• Staff monitor the performance of all groups of children, including those eligible for additional financial support, boys and girls and children who speak English as an additional language. Leaders acknowledge that for the leadership and management of the early years to be outstanding, attainment must be higher, especially in writing and for boys. In addition, staff have made it a priority to further diminish the difference between the performance of disadvantaged children and other children nationally.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 105205 Bolton 10024182 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary controlled 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 460 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Pauline Stott Mark Hamblett 01204 333005 www.st-matthews.bolton.sch.uk hamblettm@st-matthews.bolton.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 16–17 October 2012

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Since the previous inspection, a new headteacher has been appointed. At the time of the previous inspection, the school was just starting its expansion programme. Since this time, many members of staff have been appointed, including up to 20 teachers and a pastoral manager. The governing body has been reorganised to include a new chair of the governing body, a foundation governor and three new parent governors.
• The school is a much larger than average-sized primary school. The number on roll has doubled since the previous inspection. Almost half of all pupils are disadvantaged and in receipt of the pupil premium funding.
• Most pupils are from minority ethnic groups and speak English as an additional language. A sizable proportion is still in the process of acquiring English.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average. The proportion of pupils who have education, health and care plans or a statement of special educational needs is average.
• Children in the early years are taught on a part-time basis in morning and afternoon sessions in two Nursery classes. Children are taught full-time in two Reception classes.
• The school runs a breakfast club. This is managed by the governing body and was evaluated as part of this inspection.
• The school experiences exceptionally high levels of mobility, with large numbers of pupils entering and leaving the school at times other than at the beginning of the school year. Most recently, the school has admitted large numbers of pupils from Hungary and Somalia. These pupils enter all classes, with little or no English.
• The school meets the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed a range of lessons in all year groups, as well as the teaching of small groups of pupils and sessions aimed at helping pupils to learn to read. Four joint observations were carried out with the headteacher.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read and held discussions with pupils from across the school. Pupils’ work in books was scrutinised in class and separately with senior leaders.
• Inspectors read five text responses submitted by parents during the inspection and met informally with parents at the beginning of the school day. Inspectors scrutinised the school’s own surveys of parents’ views as well as 31 responses to the online survey, Parent View. Responses to the inspection questionnaires completed by five members of staff were also considered.
• A meeting was held with eight governors, including the chair of the governing body. Meetings were held with various leaders, including those responsible for mathematics, religious education, physical education, music, history and geography. Meetings were also held with leaders responsible for assessing pupils’ learning and progress, the early years provision and provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/ or disabilities.
• A meeting was held with a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors examined a range of documents. These included information about pupils’ progress, safeguarding documentation, various records of pupils’ attendance and behaviour, the school’s checks on the quality of teaching, reviews of its own performance and development plans.

Inspection team

Lenford White, lead inspector Elizabeth Clarke Michael Platt David Blackburne Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector