Diggle School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve outcomes in mathematics by providing pupils with regular opportunities to develop their problem-solving skills in mathematics so that a higher proportion are working at greater depth.
• Strengthen teaching, learning and assessment across the school, including the early years, by ensuring that all teachers:
  • have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and regularly plan lessons that build effectively on pupils’ prior learning
  • develop pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills in geography.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• School leaders are ambitious for each pupil to achieve as well as they possibly can. Leaders closely monitor the quality of teaching and the impact that it has on pupils’ progress. This ensures that the right support is put in place to enable pupils to make good progress.
• The headteacher provides strong leadership. She has established a school ethos in which everyone feels valued. Relationships between staff and pupils, and between pupils themselves, are very positive.
• Leadership of teaching is good. There is an effective professional development programme, and the school also works well with other schools in the Dovestone Learning Partnership to ensure that teachers can learn from good practice. Regular monitoring of teaching and the impact it has on pupils’ achievement is a key factor in the good progress that pupils make across the school.
• There are many strengths in the wider curriculum at Diggle primary school. Pupils make good progress in science. They are provided with opportunities to develop their writing and mathematical skills across a range of subjects. Pupils also enjoy learning about history topics. During this inspection, pupils in Year 3 and Year 4 were involved in a ‘Roman Day’. They tasted the food that Romans would have eaten and were challenged to develop menus.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very well and underpins all aspects of the school’s work. British values are promoted effectively through pupils’ understanding of democracy and the rule of law. Pupils also learn about other faiths, which widens their understanding of and respect for different beliefs. This prepares them well for life in modern Britain.
• Leaders ensure that effective support is provided for pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding. As a result, many of these pupils are achieving as well as their peers, and in some instances they are attaining even higher standards.
• Funding for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities is used well. As a result, these pupils make strong progress from their various starting points.
• The school makes good use of the physical education and sport funding. A sports coach has been recruited to work with staff and pupils. A range of new sports have been introduced and the range of clubs has been extended. The funding has also been used to develop the track which pupils use for the ‘daily mile’.
• Music provision is a particular strength. Pupils’ progress is supported by a wide range of instrumental tuition provided by the local authority’s music service. Pupils in Year 2 learn to play the recorder and to read music. In Year 3, all pupils learn a brass instrument. An impressive array of musical ensembles exist, including two choirs, a brass band and a school orchestra. Pupils regularly perform in school and in the wider community.

Governance of the school

• The governing body has a wide set of skills and uses this expertise well to ask challenging questions of school leaders. Governors ensure that additional funding is used well to provide appropriate support for pupils.
• Governors have a detailed knowledge of the school and provide effective support to school leaders. Governors undertake regular visits to the school to see for themselves how the school operates.
• Governors are fully involved in school self-evaluation and school development planning. They undertake relevant training and understand how the school’s performance compares to other schools nationally. They make good use of external evaluations of the school to ensure that they are not over-reliant on school staff to provide information about pupils’ achievement.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a strong commitment to safeguarding pupils. Leaders make sure that all necessary recruitment checks are completed promptly and comprehensively. Safeguarding records are thorough, up to date and securely stored.
• Staff know what to do if they are worried about a pupil’s safety. The clear lines of communication at the school contribute to the school’s effective safeguarding procedures.
• Most parents and carers who responded to Parent View said that their children were well looked after and safe while at school.
• Pupils said that they feel safe at school and told inspectors that behaviour is almost always good in class. Pupils also explained how they learned to keep safe out of school. They demonstrated a good understanding of the dangers associated with the internet and social media.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching over time is good. Most teachers have good subject knowledge, plan interesting lessons and provide good feedback to pupils about the quality of their work. As a result, pupils make strong progress in their learning and achieve well in English, mathematics and most other subjects.
• Reading is taught effectively. The teaching of phonics is strong and gives younger pupils a solid foundation upon which to develop their reading and spelling skills. Many older pupils develop a love of reading and they read widely and often.
• There have been improvements to the teaching of mathematics. The work seen in pupils’ books shows that pupils are now making strong progress. However, not enough pupils are working at greater depth in this subject. In some classes, too few opportunities are provided for pupils to use and apply their mathematical knowledge and skills to solve problems. This limits the progress that pupils make, particularly the most able.
• Effective teaching in science and history provides pupils with opportunities to develop new skills and knowledge. Tasks are well planned to meet pupils’ needs, and teaching is often fun and engaging. During this inspection, pupils in Year 3 and Year 4 were involved in a ‘Roman Day’. Along with their teachers, they dressed in Roman attire and learned about customs from that period, for example by sampling food such as olives and dates. However, progress in geography is not as strong, as pupils have too few opportunities to study this subject.
• Teaching assistants provide good support in lessons, especially when working with pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. They help pupils to develop their knowledge and skills and make a strong contribution to the school’s positive ethos.
• Occasionally, some teachers do not take sufficient account of what pupils already know or can do when planning lessons. As a result, their expectations of what pupils can achieve are sometimes too low. School leaders are aware of the need to ensure greater consistency in the quality of teaching and are providing training opportunities for staff to raise standards even further.
• Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ presentation. Inspectors saw many examples of neat and fluent handwriting on display around school and in pupils’ books.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils enjoy doing the ‘mile a day׳ challenge. It encourages them to take regular exercise and helps them to understand the importance of physical fitness.
• Pupils spoken to during this inspection said that they feel safe in school. They told inspectors that pupils get on well with each other, but also said that bullying does happen occasionally. However, they said that staff are good at dealing with this sort of behaviour and resolving any problems.
• Staff at the breakfast and after-school club provide good-quality care for pupils, who can start and end the school day in a safe, secure and welcoming environment.
• Many pupils thrive on the wealth of opportunities which the school provides for them to develop their musical abilities. The frequent public performances that the school’s ensembles are involved in contribute significantly to helping pupils develop self-confidence.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils behave well in class and during playtimes and the dinner break. They have good manners and are respectful towards each other and the adults who teach and support them.
• All members of staff who responded to the Ofsted survey said that behaviour is good at the school, and that leaders support staff well in managing behaviour. Pupils spoken to during the inspection also said that behaviour was good at the school and that learning was rarely disrupted by poor behaviour.
• Around one quarter of the parents who responded to Parent View expressed concerns about behaviour and bullying. However, during this inspection, inspectors observed good behaviour and found nothing to suggest that pupils behave badly.
• Senior leaders have successfully promoted the importance of good attendance and punctuality. Attendance has been above the national average for the past two years, and the vast majority of pupils arrive promptly for school.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils make strong progress in developing their early reading skills. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check has been above the national average for the past two years. By the end of Year 2, in 2017, the proportion of pupils working at the expected standard in reading was above the national average, and over half of the cohort were working at greater depth.
• In 2017, progress in reading across key stage 2 was not as strong as in previous years. Although the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard was around the national average, too few made rapid progress and achieved the higher standard. Leaders are taking effective action to promote reading in key stage 2. Pupils have more opportunities to read in school and teachers use whole-class reading lessons to introduce pupils to more challenging texts. The school’s own assessment shows that current pupils are making strong progress.
• Pupils achieve well in writing. Inspectors saw good-quality writing in English books across the school. Pupils are also given good regular opportunities to develop their writing in subjects such as science and history. A strong focus on improving writing led to a significant increase in the proportion of pupils judged to be working at greater depth in 2017 at the end of both key stage 1 and key stage 2.
• Achievement in mathematics dipped in 2017 at the end of both key stage 1 and key stage 2. Improvements have been made this year, following a concerted effort to raise standards in this subject. The work in books shows that current pupils are making better progress, particularly in Year 5 and Year 6. However, school leaders recognise that further work is required so that more pupils reach the higher standards by the end of key stage 2.
• Pupils make strong progress in many subjects across the curriculum. Science is taught well across the school and pupils develop good scientific knowledge and understanding as a result. History is also planned and taught well. Many pupils make strong progress in music. This is due to highly effective teaching and tuition, and the many opportunities pupils have to learn different instruments, sing and perform. However, pupils do not make enough progress in geography. They are not provided with enough opportunities to develop the necessary skills and knowledge in this subject.

Early years provision Good

• Children get off to a good start in the early years. Most children start at the school with skills and abilities which are in line with, and in some cases above, those typically seen. They make good progress in their learning. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development has been above the national average for the past two years.
• There is a strong and effective emphasis on creating a caring and nurturing learning environment. This is evident in the positive relationships that adults have with children, and children have with each other. Children feel safe and are safe. As a result, they enjoy school and develop good attitudes to learning.
• The quality of teaching in early years is good. Teachers and other adults have a good overall grasp of what children can do. They work effectively as a team and use questioning well to assess children’s learning and challenge them in their thinking.
• Children are provided with regular opportunities to develop their communication and language skills through real-life experiences, practical activities and role play. Staff make good use of the indoor and outdoor areas to provide a wide range of activities each day that help to develop children’s learning.
• Children make good progress in developing early reading and writing skills. Phonics is taught well and children enjoy practising reading and writing their letter sounds, when working directly with adults and also when involved in role play activities. However, progress in mathematics is not as strong because teaching sometimes fails to build effectively on what children already know.
• Adults work closely together to develop children’s independence. Routines are well established and children’s behaviour is good.
• Safeguarding is effective in the early years and all statutory duties are met.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 105665 Oldham 10045159 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Foundation 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 186 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Mike Rea Sarah Newton 01617705246 www.diggleprimary.co.uk info@diggle.oldham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 10–11 October 2013

Information about this school

• Diggle Community Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The school is part of the Dovestone Learning Partnership, a Co-operative Trust consisting of eight schools.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan or a statement of special educational needs is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is below the national average, as is the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language.
• The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching, learning and assessment across the school in a wide range of subjects. Some of the observations were conducted jointly with the headteacher.
• Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ written work from subjects across the curriculum.
• Inspectors looked at documentation, including minutes of governing body meetings, school improvement plans, attendance and behaviour information and safeguarding records.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and several middle leaders. The lead inspector also met with members of the governing body, including the vice-chair of governors, and spoke with a representative of the local authority.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ conduct during breaks and lunchtimes.Inspectors met with groups of pupils to listen to them read and discuss behaviour. They also spoke with many other pupils informally.
• Inspectors spoke with parents in the playground before school. Inspectors also took account of the 107 responses to Parent View, emails, letters sent by parents and the 13 responses to the staff questionnaire.

Inspection team

Paul Tomkow, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Howard Bousfield Ofsted Inspector