Primrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, and thereby the progress and attainment of all groups of pupils, by:
  • providing more opportunities to challenge the most able pupils across all subjects
  • making sure that teachers plan activities to improve pupils’ learning in geography and science, ensuring that work builds upon skills learned in previous years.
• Improve the quality of leadership and management by:
  • ensuring that outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics improve across key stage 1 and key stage 2 and that these improvements are sustained
  • developing the roles of middle leaders so that they have a greater impact on teaching, learning and assessment
  • ensuring that governors challenge leaders about all aspects of their work in the school with more rigour, particularly in relation to the impact of pupil premium spending
  • developing leaders’ understanding of the teaching and learning of the youngest children in the early years.
• Improve outcomes in the early years by:
  • sharpening leaders’ plans for improvement to consider more clearly what aspects of provision in the Nursery should be improved and how success will be measured
  • improving the skills of staff to enable them to question and extend children’s thinking skills
  • making sure staff in the early years support children’s behaviour consistently.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• The new headteacher, who joined the school in September 2017, has been quick to identify clear priorities to move the school forward. Together with the newly appointed senior leadership team, he is bringing about rapid improvements in pupils’ outcomes in English and mathematics, and improvements in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and pupils’ attendance.
• Senior leaders have been relentless in their efforts to improve this school. School improvement planning is precise. The school’s self-evaluation is honest, accurate and shared openly with parents.
• Staff who responded to the Ofsted survey were overwhelmingly positive about the changes that the new school leaders have put into place. Staff said that they feel empowered due to the consistent approach by leaders. They say that staff meetings are now an opportunity to learn from experienced senior leaders and engage in professional development activities.
• Working in partnership with staff and governors, senior leaders have recognised that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is too variable. As a result, they have focused their attention this year on helping teachers to improve through consistent approaches to the teaching of English and mathematics. Most teachers are now providing work that is matched closely to the ability of pupils.
• The leaders for mathematics and English have a clear understanding of where they need to make improvements in their subjects. Focused subject action-planning enables leaders to closely monitor English and mathematics. They evaluate the quality of teaching and the work in pupils’ books regularly to keep a close eye on standards.
• Some senior and middle leaders do not have a strong enough understanding of the early years to determine the impact of their actions on the outcomes of the children.
• In some classes, the achievement of pupils is not good. Teachers’ expectations of pupils vary between year groups. The quality of pupils’ written work is variable and pupils are not always given work that provides them with enough challenge.
• The leadership of subjects other than English and mathematics is underdeveloped. Leaders, for example in geography and history, have opportunities to monitor the quality of work in pupils’ books. However, they do not monitor the progress of pupils with sufficient rigour. For example, they do not check the quality of work in pupils’ books enough to be aware of the accuracy of teachers’ assessments.
• Leaders for geography and science are unclear about the quality of teaching in their subjects. However, senior leaders have put plans in place to develop these leadership roles in the summer term.
• Pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities receive good support from staff and leaders. The leadership of SEN is effective and regular reviews of the teaching and care pupils receive are undertaken. Staff receive bespoke training to deal effectively and sensitively with the differing and sometimes complex needs of pupils.
• Leaders have worked hard to create a culture of which pupils can be proud. Pupils benefit from leaders’ clear expectations about acceptable standards of behaviour.
• The headteacher and senior leaders are working hard to engage with parents and carers. For example, each morning the pupils and their families are invited into school to take part in the morning ‘Move It’ dance routine. This worthwhile session is well attended.
• Pupils benefit from a wide and exciting curriculum. The physical education and sports premium funding is used effectively to provide pupils with a wide range of exciting and challenging activities. For example, in the summer term a group of pupils will visit London to compete at a national level in a junior American Football event.
• The promotion of fundamental British values and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are strengths of the school. The school has forged strong links with local theatres and collaborates well with the BBC at the nearby MediaCityUK. Pupils learn about a range of religions that are practised in the locality.
• Pupils recently completed a whole-school project to celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender month by making Robbie the Rainbow Rhino, who is displayed in the main entrance.

Governance of the school

• Governors are committed to bringing about improvements in the school. However, they have not always provided school leaders with sufficient challenge about the school’s work. For example, in the past, they have not checked on the impact of the spending of the pupil premium funding with sufficient rigour.
• Governors recognise that there were weaknesses in the past. They acknowledge that teaching, learning and assessment need to improve across the school to ensure that pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieve better outcomes. The headteacher provides governors with high-quality and accurate data to keep them well informed about improvements in teaching and pupils’ outcomes.
• Governors have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are in place. They regularly check the single central record. Several members of the governing body are trained in the safe recruitment of staff.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• All members of staff receive appropriate training to enable them to be confident in keeping pupils safe.
• Staff with whom inspectors spoke were clear about the systems in place to record information if they are concerned about a pupil’s welfare.
• The headteacher and the designated leader for safeguarding work effectively with a range of outside agencies, including children’s social care. Records of leaders’ work are detailed and clear. Leaders share information effectively with other professionals to ensure that pupils and their families are safe and receive relevant and timely support.
• Leaders have designed the curriculum to ensure that pupils are taught well about staying safe, both online and outside school.
• The school site is secure and office staff carefully check the credentials of visitors.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Over time, teaching has not had a positive impact on improving the outcomes of pupils. Planned activities do not challenge the most able pupils enough.
• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is improving but remains inconsistent across the school. Improvement in the quality of pupils’ learning is strongest in English and mathematics.
• The presentation of pupils’ work across the curriculum is variable. In some classes, the standards of handwriting lack consistency because expectations vary between teachers.
• The quality of work that pupils produce across the curriculum is developing. Pupils’ work is best in English and mathematics.
• The teaching of geography is variable. For example, in some activities, pupils make ill-informed generalisations about countries but staff do not always challenge these views. Similarly, the teaching of science is inconsistent. Some pupils benefit from a rich curriculum involving many practical opportunities, whereas others’ learning is not challenging enough.
• The teaching of phonics is a strength of the school. Clear development plans have helped staff to improve this aspect of teaching.
• In most classes, the skills of teaching assistants are used well to provide targeted support for individuals and groups of pupils. Relationships between pupils and adults in classrooms are strong.
• Teachers have created colourful and vibrant classrooms. They celebrate the work of pupils well. Pupils’ artwork, which is displayed around the school, is of a very high standard.
• The teaching of reading has recently improved. Teachers promote reading in their classrooms and ensure that pupils are immersed in a wide range of exciting and worthwhile texts. Pupils who read to the inspectors spoke with confidence about the books they were reading and the types of books that they enjoy.
• Staff have worked closely with the local authority to sharpen the focus of assessment practice across the school. School leaders assessed all of the pupils in the autumn term to obtain an accurate picture of their true ability. As a result of this assessment, leaders were able to focus their attention on the weakest aspects of pupils’ learning in English and mathematics.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils show great respect for adults and each other. They play well together. They move between classes in a calm and orderly fashion.
• They benefit from many opportunities to stay fit and healthy. Lunch and breaktimes are well organised and many pupils engage in active and exciting play.
• Pupils said that they feel safe in the school. They spoke passionately about changes that have taken place in the school since September. They said that the school has changed for the better.
• Staff prepare the pupils well to stay safe outside school and online.
• Pupils said that name-calling and bullying are not tolerated in the school. They said that the teachers are fair in how they deal with pupils. Many pupils have signed the anti-bullying charter that is on display in the entrance hall.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school is good. The pupils are polite, friendly and very welcoming. They benefit from clear behaviour guidelines set by staff.
• The consistent approach to the management of pupils’ behaviour that was introduced in September is having a positive effect. Parents and carers, staff and pupils who responded to Ofsted’s surveys were all of the opinion that behaviour is good and well managed.
• Pupils earn points for producing good work and displaying good behaviour. They enjoy exchanging their behaviour reward points to purchase exciting prizes that are displayed around school.
• Sometimes, when pupils are not challenged in lessons and their work is too easy, they lose focus and become distracted from their learning.
• Leaders have made great gains in improving the attendance of pupils. However, overall pupil attendance remains below the national average. Leaders have been very successful in decreasing the previously very high rate of persistent absence to a rate that is now in line with the national average.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics deteriorated in 2017. Published performance information indicates that Year 6 pupils’ attainment and progress were very low and were well below the national averages.
• Pupils’ attainment continues to be low in some year groups. Current assessment information shows that pupils are making good progress. However, the legacy of previously poor teaching means that pupils have gaps in their learning that continue to need to be addressed.
• Different groups of pupils across the school are now making good progress in English and mathematics. However, this is not the case for some pupils in different year groups. For example, in Year 5, girls make much less progress in writing than in reading and mathematics.
• Results from the Year 1 phonics screening check have fallen for three consecutive years. However, evidence collected during the inspection indicates that pupils’ achievement in phonics is improving strongly. This is due, in part, to the improved leadership in English.
• Pupils’ outcomes in mathematics are generally improving quickly. Teachers plan challenging lessons to engage and interest pupils. Tasks are usually well matched to the ability of the pupils. However, continued inconsistencies in the quality of teaching mean that pupils’ outcomes continue to be variable between year groups.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and those supported by the pupil premium funding make sustained progress in English and mathematics in most year groups. However, their progress is not fast enough for them to make up for poor achievement in the past.
• Pupils who speak English as an additional language make sustained progress in English and mathematics. Teaching of key vocabulary is effective in supporting pupils’ wider learning.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• The proportion of children reaching a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year has remained below the national average for several years. Current performance information indicates that children’s learning is improving, with more becoming ready for their move into key stage 1.
• Senior leaders know the main issues that they need to address to improve the quality of the early years. However, their plans are imprecise. For example, planned actions do not set out clearly enough how teaching and learning in the Nursery will improve.
• Children in the early years benefit from a well-resourced and exciting learning environment. The classrooms and outside areas are well provisioned, enabling children to develop their movement, handling and motor skills effectively.
• Staff do not always capitalise on opportunities to question children to extend their thinking.
• Staff in the early years have been successful in establishing purposeful relationships with parents. For example, parents are invited to attend sessions in the early years at regular intervals. Inspectors observed parents and children engage fully in the Keep-fit Friday session in the Nursery.
• Relationships between adults and children in the early years are positive. Staff ensure that children are well cared for and learn and play happily together. Pupils are polite and sensitive to the needs of others.
• Children generally behave well. However, inspectors observed children running in the Nursery classroom and saw inconsistencies in the way that staff dealt with children’s behaviour.
• The teaching of phonics in the early years is effective. Children benefit from skilful teaching, which is leading to improved outcomes.
• Staff provide children with high levels of care. Children are safe and secure in the early years.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 129466 Salford 10045805 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 406 Appropriate authority Local authority Chair Headteacher Judy Hoskin Lee Ashton Telephone number 0161 921 2400 Website Email address www.primrosehillprimary.co.uk primrose.hill@salford.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 12–13 February 2014

Information about this school

• The school is a larger-than-average primary school.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium funding is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• The school meets 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 and learning across a range of subjects in all year groups.
• Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of school documentation, including the school self-evaluation, the school development plan and minutes of governors’ meetings.
• Inspectors reviewed samples of pupils’ work in English, mathematics, science and geography.
• Inspectors viewed documents in relation to safeguarding, including the single central record and evidence of staff recruitment and safeguarding training.
• Inspectors met with pupils, both formally and informally, throughout the inspection.
• Inspectors took into account the 82 responses to the pupils’ survey, the six free-text responses and the 16 other responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. Inspectors considered the 20 responses to the staff survey.
• Inspectors met with parents before school on the first day of the inspection.
• Inspectors met with the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team and members of the teaching staff.
• The lead inspector met with a representative of the local authority and four members of the governing body.
• Inspectors listened to some pupils from key stage 1 and key stage 2 read.

Inspection team

John Donald, lead inspector Tim Vaughan Ann Gill Suzanne Blay Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector