Boarshaw Community Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Enhance the quality of teaching in science and geography to ensure that pupils deepen fully their knowledge and skills of the topics being studied.
• Improve further the outcomes for pupils by ensuring that they consistently apply their knowledge and skills of English grammar, punctuation and spelling in all subjects.
• Improve leadership and management by:
  • enhancing subject leaders’ skills in monitoring and evaluating the achievement of
  • pupils in subjects other than English and mathematics increase the rigour by which governors monitor and evaluate the achievement of pupils, particularly in subjects other than reading, writing and mathematics.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Senior leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for further development. Their frequent and rigorous monitoring of reading, writing and mathematics ensures that pupils receive high-quality teaching in these key areas of learning. Leaders work effectively as a close team and make good use of links with other local schools in their collaborative partnership to share effective practice. School leaders and governors work closely together and have a clear vision for improvement, which they share with staff. The commitment, determination and resilience of all have led to rapid and sustained improvement in the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils, particularly in English and mathematics.
• Leaders’ planning for school improvement is clear and effective. It includes appropriate priorities based on thorough evaluations of the school’s provision and outcomes. Regular reviews of the impact of actions undertaken by leaders and governors ensure the quick pace of improvement. These include the effective use of external quality assurance professionals to check independently the impact of leaders’ actions.
• Leaders’ good use of the pupil premium grant ensures that disadvantaged pupils, including those who are most-able, receive high-quality education and achieve well. Additional coaching and sharply focused guidance ensure that pupils receive the help they need to make strong progress from their starting points. Consequently, the differences in outcomes between these pupils and other pupils nationally are diminishing quickly.
• Leaders’ good use of the additional sports funding has resulted in pupils’ greater participation in sports and in their adoption of healthier lifestyles. Additional sporting clubs, which run on nearly every day of the school week, are extremely popular and strongly boost pupils’ interest and participation in sport. Rewards for membership of school sports teams effectively promote the pride pupils feel in representing their school at sport. This is the case for all groups, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Additional specialist coaching provides expert training for staff and ensures that pupils receive high-quality physical education lessons. The work of the school’s food committee ensures that the pupils themselves effectively promote well-being and healthy lifestyles.
• Leaders’ regular and effective communication ensures that parents are well informed about their children’s learning and school life. The use of the school’s website and frequent texting gives parents useful information. The effective and safe use of social media to share pupils’ writing with others around the world celebrates their achievements well. Nearly all parents who responded to the online questionnaire, or who the inspector spoke with, overwhelmingly support the school and appreciate the opportunities and care it provides for their children.
• This is a caring school where pupils’ spiritual moral, social and cultural understanding is developed well, through the promotion of the United Nations Charter of the Rights of the Child. Leaders promote equality for different pupils, irrespective of their gender identity. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities participate in the full range of activities and life of the school. All pupils are treated with understanding and respect.
• The school’s curriculum is broad and balanced and equips pupils well for their next stages of education. The curriculum is enriched through a series of well-planned experiences and activities that develop pupils’ academic, creative and cultural interests, knowledge and understanding. Opportunities for pupils to choose short study courses during ‘Flexible Friday’ afternoons effectively develop their own interests and promote the learning of new knowledge and skills. These courses include learning German, studying first aid and undertaking the junior Duke of Edinburgh bronze and silver awards. The ‘Boarshaw promise’ ensures that all pupils complete a series of small tasks before they leave, such as visiting a theatre and a variety of places of worship. Leaders strongly encourage pupils to adopt positive values as future citizens of Britain.
• The leadership of early years, reading, writing and mathematics are well developed and are strengths of the school. These subject leaders are clear about their roles and responsibilities, and use their detailed knowledge of strengths and weaknesses in their subjects to bring about rapid improvement. A number of other subject leaders, some of whom are new to their roles, have more limited analytical skills. Consequently, they do not evaluate the quality of provision and outcomes in their subjects effectively.

Governance of the school

• The governance of the school is effective. Governors are proud of their school and share the vision and commitment to improvement held by leaders and staff. They know their school well because of the quality of the information they receive from the headteacher, other senior leaders and external quality assurance professionals. They visit the school regularly and speak with teachers and pupils. Consequently, they understand how teachers are going about raising standards.
• Governors closely monitor the school’s finances, including the pupil premium funding and sports funding, to ensure that they get best value. They check rigorously the impact of actions through governors’ committees, particularly those actions that have focused on the organisation of staffing, to ensure that pupils receive the best-quality teaching and outcomes in mathematics and English. However, they do not check on other subjects as thoroughly.
• Governors ensure that the school’s policy for performance management is robustly applied. Their secure understanding of the school’s performance management procedures, and how they relate to teachers’ pay, allows them to evaluate carefully any proposals for increases to pay. Governors use their knowledge and understanding well to ensure that appropriate robust actions are taken to challenge underperformance. Consequently, the quality of teaching and learning has improved strongly since the last inspection.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The governing body ensures that the school meets all the statutory requirements for safeguarding. These include the robust checking of the suitability of adults to work with children in school, and the provision of appropriate filtering and monitoring of the school’s internet connection.
• All staff, including those not involved in direct teaching and learning, are vigilant and well trained to protect pupils from potential risks, including radicalisation and extremism. This is because leaders ensure that members of staff keep their skills and knowledge up to date through regular training and briefings.
• The school’s ethos of safeguarding pervades all aspects of its life. Consequently, pupils feel safe and are confident that staff will respond quickly and effectively to any concerns they might have.
• Leaders meticulously record and manage any concerns using the school’s electronic case management system.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have high expectations of all groups of pupils in lessons.
• High-quality professional development, linked closely to appropriate school improvement priorities, ensures that teachers have good subject knowledge, particularly in English and mathematics. Teachers’ good subject knowledge in other subjects, such as modern foreign languages and history, ensures that pupils are inspired to learn through interesting activities. For example, in key stage 1, experiences of an archaeological dig to find ‘dinosaur bones’ sparked their interest in the topic.
• Reading and writing are taught systematically across the school, using strategies that quickly develop pupils’ skills and confidence. Regular writing activities that link closely to studies in other subjects ensure that pupils develop their abilities to apply many writing skills. However, teachers do not ensure that skills taught in specific lessons on English grammar, punctuation and spelling are applied in pupils’ other work. Consequently, although pupils build upon their prior learning and make strong progress in these other subjects, their spelling and grammar sometimes let them down.
• The quality of teaching of mathematics has significantly improved due to an increased focus on the subject by leaders. Appropriate training and support from the highly skilled subject leader ensure that teachers have up-to-date knowledge and are confident to help the more able pupils deepen their understanding and knowledge and master their mathematical skills. For example, in key stage 2, pupils develop their mastery of mathematical skills by giving written feedback to imaginary pupils about how to correct their mistakes.
• Teachers and other adults ask good questions to probe and develop pupils’ understanding. For example, in early years, a teaching assistant’s effective questions encouraged children to develop their vocabulary and confidence to give advice and directions during a role-play activity about a bus trip to a supermarket. As a result, children, many of whom start school with limited communication and language skills, quickly develop their knowledge and respond to questions with confidence and a broadening vocabulary.
• Teachers use homework effectively to ensure that pupils practise and embed the skills and knowledge taught in lessons. Pupils read at home frequently and regularly complete tasks in writing and mathematics. Leaders provide a homework club and specific space at the school’s breakfast club for pupils to work quietly. This ensures that pupils who may find it difficult to work at home have appropriate support and facilities to continue their learning.
• Teachers make good use of the school’s skilled and committed teaching assistants, including the learning coach, to deliver effective targeted support that appropriately challenges pupils, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, these pupils make good progress from their starting points.
• The quality of teaching in subjects other than English and mathematics is effective. Well-chosen topic themes engage pupils in learning. However, pupils’ opportunities to consolidate their knowledge and deepen their understanding of more complex aspects of subjects are sometimes limited, particularly in the development of scientific enquiry and geographical skills.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils are immensely proud of their school. They wear their uniform with pride and see the wearing of their blazers in upper key stage 2 as a sign of their growing maturity. Parents share their children’s pride in the school and are overwhelmingly supportive.
• Pupils know how to stay safe in and out of school, including while using the internet and other electronic devices because of the guidance they receive. Teachers regularly build upon focused activities about online safety, which are delivered by a local expert during lessons. As a result, pupils confidently use technology and know the correct actions to take if they have any concerns.
• Pupils maturely carry out a multitude of roles of responsibility, including ‘Bully Busters’, school councillors, food committee members and eco committee members. Each committee has clearly defined roles and responsibilities and, alongside the school’s ambassadors, head girl and head boy, have a positive impact on improving the school.
• Extra-curricular activities abound in school and contribute greatly to the personal development of pupils. The breakfast club ensures that pupils are well set for a day of learning. Clubs and courses include drumming, Spanish, the student newspaper, Bollywood dancing and cycling. They develop personal interests and useful skills that ensure that pupils leave well equipped to be positive contributors to society.
• Pupils are well supported to become good citizens because of leaders’ strong promotion of fundamental British values. They have a secure understanding of the rule of law and modern British institutions. Pupils regularly take part in democratic processes and each year hold an ‘election day’ to choose their representatives on the different committees and groups in school.
• Pupils play an active and effective part in the school’s work to prevent bullying. ‘Bully Busters’, elected representatives from each class, work alongside members of staff to identify and support pupils who experience any bullying. Consequently, pupils say incidents of bullying are rare and, when they do occur, they are effectively and rapidly dealt with by adults.
• Leaders’ strong promotion of equality, exemplified in the school’s adoption of the United Nations Charter of the Rights of the Child, ensures that pupils have a good understanding of equality. Consequently, pupils show respect for each other and adults, regardless of their race, gender or faith.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are polite and courteous to adults and each other. They welcome visitors and willingly engage in articulate conversations about their work and school life. Pupils’ movement around the school is calm and orderly because of well-established routines.
• Pupils enjoy coming to school and, consequently, attendance is good. For many groups, including disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, it is higher than the national average. Overall attendance is in line with national averages and improving. Leaders monitor attendance rigorously and challenge parents who do not ensure that their children attend regularly. Consequently, few pupils are persistently absent.
• Leaders’ use of exclusions is higher than the national average. However, meticulous record-keeping shows that exclusions are only used as a last resort and are measured responses to the behaviour of pupils. Appropriate measures are in place to ensure that pupils’ learning is not disadvantaged by exclusion. Rates of exclusion have now fallen significantly because leaders’ actions and better-quality teaching have effectively promoted good behaviour in school.
• Pupils are eager and attentive learners; they quickly respond to instructions. However, a small minority of pupils occasionally disengage from their learning and disrupt others. Teachers, however, are quick and effective in their response.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Outcomes for pupils have improved since the last inspection, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. The work in pupils’ books shows that this improvement is being sustained and enhanced, particularly in writing.
• Pupils make good progress in their understanding of phonics because of the good teaching they receive. As a result, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 screening check has consistently been above the national average and continues to improve.
• In 2015, the proportion of pupils leaving the school having achieved the standards expected for their age was generally in line with national averages in writing, mathematics and English grammar, punctuation and spelling. The proportion of pupils achieving the standards expected in reading was significantly above the national average. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils reaching the standards expected for their age was in line with that of other pupils nationally.
• In 2015, pupils made good progress in reading, writing and, particularly, mathematics in all key stages, particularly in key stage 2, where progress was strong. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who made expected and better-than-expected progress from their starting points in reading, writing and mathematics was above that of other pupils nationally.
• Disadvantaged pupils, including those who are most able, make strong progress from their starting points because of the support they receive, particularly in key stage 2, where their progress is significantly above that which is expected in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils read widely and often, in school and as part of their homework. Consequently, they have developed a love of reading. They develop good levels of fluency and are confident in their use of phonics to overcome the challenges of unfamiliar words.
• Outcomes for the most able pupils are improving because of the improved quality of education pupils now receive. Most-able pupils across the school make strong progress from their starting points. Teachers’ expectations of these pupils are high and the level of challenge they receive is high. The numbers of most-able pupils, based on key stage 1 outcomes, are increasing because of better teaching. There were few most-able pupils in the 2015 and 2016 cohorts that undertook statutory assessment tests.
• Unvalidated results from 2016 statutory assessments and the work seen in pupils’ books show that recent improvements in reading, writing and mathematics are being sustained. However, work in pupils’ books also shows that the pupils’ progress in other subjects, including geography and science, has not developed as strongly as in English and mathematics.

Early years provision Good

• The leadership and management of early years are good. Leaders have a clear understanding of strengths and weaknesses because of their effective monitoring. They use this knowledge well to inform improvement planning.
• Children are helped to settle into the Nursery and Reception classes through high-quality transition arrangements with home and other providers. Early years leaders use the information they get from home visits effectively. They ensure that that initial themes and activities reflect children’s interests from home, which ensure that they settle into learning quickly.
• Effective partnerships with external agencies, including local authority early years specialists and health and social care professionals, ensure that staff are well trained and that children receive appropriate support for their needs.
• Children are polite and courteous. Children are keen to learn. They play and collaborate well together. Consequently, children swiftly develop their inquisitiveness and social skills.
• Parents are actively involved in their children’s learning because of the sustained efforts of early years staff to encourage and engage with them. Regular and well-attended stay and play sessions provide excellent opportunities for teachers and other adults to discuss children’s needs and celebrate their achievements. Parents are well informed about their children’s progress. Consequently, parents who spoke with inspectors were overwhelmingly positive about the impact the department has on their children’s education.
• Children are kept safe because well-trained and vigilant staff implement the school’s safeguarding policies with rigour and act quickly to respond to and deal with any concerns.
• Leaders ensure that welfare requirements are met.
• The quality of teaching is good, particularly in Reception classes. Teachers and teaching assistants frequently use questioning well to probe and develop children’s understanding. Good use is made of the outdoors to promote learning, by providing stimulating and challenging activities for children. Adults actively engage in play to promote learning, while ensuring that they capitalise on pupils’ interests and opportunities to extend knowledge. For example, when children playing in a jelly tub wanted to write about their experiences, a teaching assistant seized this opportunity to develop the children’s interest in writing and to extend their phonics knowledge by using questions about the letter sounds in the word ‘jelly’.
• Most children enter the Nursery with levels of development significantly below those typical for their age. They particularly have more limited skills in communication, language, literacy and social development. All groups of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, the most able and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress from their starting points, particularly in Reception. In 2015, the proportion of pupils achieving a good level of development was in line with that seen nationally. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils achieving a good level of development has improved to diminish the difference seen with that of other pupils nationally. School-based information shows that in 2016 this improvement is being sustained.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 105787 Rochdale 10019799 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 Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 280 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Michelle Baggaley Jackie Harland 0161 653 9536 www.boarshawprimary.co.uk head@boarshawprimary.co.uk Date of previous inspection 7–8 October 2014

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Boarshaw Primary is an average-sized primary school.
• Nearly all pupils attending the school are White British.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is average.
• The school provides a breakfast club that is available to all pupils.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed a range of lessons or parts of lessons and looked at pupils’ work. They listened to pupils reading and talked with pupils about their lessons and school life.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders and representatives of the governing body. A meeting was held with the local authority’s school improvement adviser who works with the school, and a telephone conversation was held with the local authority’s head of schools.
• The inspectors observed the school’s work and scrutinised documentation relating to pupils’ progress and to school management, including the arrangements to ensure that pupils are kept safe.
• The inspectors spoke with parents and staff and took account of the 21 responses to the online parent questionnaire, Parent View.
• Inspectors took account of the 26 responses to the staff questionnaire and the 45 responses to the pupil questionnaire.

Inspection team

John Nixon, lead inspector Tanya Hughes Clare Nash

Her Majesty's Inspector Her Majesty's Inspector Ofsted Inspector