St Paul's CofE Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further improve the quality of teaching by:
  • sharing existing excellent classroom practice across school
  • deploying teaching assistants more effectively to maximise pupils’ learning.
• Improve overall attendance by:
  • ensuring that all parents understand the relationship between regular attendance and improving outcomes for pupils
  • creating more opportunities for parental engagement in pupils’ learning
  • continuing to engage with the parents of persistently absent pupils.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The effectiveness of leadership has strengthened since the last inspection. Leaders at all levels have an accurate view of the school’s performance. Leaders are now sure of what the school does well and in which areas it needs to improve. Leaders have the capacity to improve the school further.
• The school’s values, ‘We work…we play…we care…we pray’ are evident in all aspects of school life. Leaders have created a positive culture in school, which supports effective learning. Relationships are strong. All the staff who responded to the survey said that they are proud to work at the school.
• Leaders cater well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. There is a reflection area in each class, which pupils use voluntarily. Pupils have visited a variety of places of worship and have hosted a visit from the local bishop. Key stage 2 pupils are developing their understanding of the importance of mosques in the Muslim community, an example of how the school prepares pupils for aspects of life in modern Britain. Celebration books capture enrichment activities, memorable experiences and pupils’ achievements, such as ‘research prize winner’ and ‘writer’s prize’. Pupils understand right from wrong. For example, young children were able to consider whether ‘Jack was a good boy’ in a story. Older pupils can explain the consequences of poor behaviour.
• The school community has high expectations for all pupils. Since the previous inspection, leaders have developed their own assessment system, which shows how individual pupils progress over time. Leaders, teachers and governors use this information to check that individuals and groups of pupils make good progress from their starting points.
• Leaders’ actions have improved teaching through managing performance and providing relevant training. Newly qualified teachers say that they are ‘well supported’. Teachers meet colleagues from other schools to share what good progress looks like. This has improved the confidence and knowledge of teachers. They value this opportunity and recognise that it has an impact on pupils’ learning.
• Leaders have developed a broad and balanced curriculum, which covers all areas of the national curriculum. Strong examples include pupils finding the prime meridian in geography and creating their own work in the style of particular artists. Teachers provide enrichment activities, which motivate and interest pupils. Recent activities have included learning about e-safety.
• Subject leaders have developed their roles well. They now take ownership of their subject, using their specialism to make the curriculum more engaging. They train colleagues and assess pupils’ current attainment, so that they can plan next steps in learning. They also look at pupils’ books to make sure that progress is at least in line with expectations for their age.
• Pupils who have special education needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting points. The experienced leader for the provision for these pupils uses funding well to provide targeted support where progress is slow. She monitors pupils’ progress closely to ensure that these pupils succeed in school. She shares her expertise well with staff.
• Leaders use the pupil premium funding effectively to ensure that disadvantaged pupils make good progress. The ‘pupil premium champion’ is creative in planning and providing a variety of learning experiences for different pupils. The breakfast club helps to improve the attendance for some disadvantaged pupils, while guitar lessons engage others.
• The physical education (PE) and sport premium is spent wisely. It is used to provide enrichment, activities and competitions for pupils, develop teachers’ skills and ensure that pupils have the required equipment. After-school clubs include street dancing, kickboxing and drama. The sports coach leads a club for younger pupils, acting as a positive role model to help them successfully engage in outdoor activities.
• Leaders have introduced a number of new initiatives to improve pupils’ outcomes. The new assessment system, the focus of the leadership team and the development of the role of subject leaders, have had a positive impact on current pupils’ progress. Leaders monitor the impact of developments closely to ensure that improvements are sustained.
• The leadership team are aware of the poor attendance of some pupils, which contributes to the school having below-average attendance. The attendance officer builds relationships with parents and carers to improve attendance, and there is compelling evidence that this has made a difference for some vulnerable pupils. However, leaders recognise that attendance is too low and persistent absence is still too high.

Governance of the school

• Since the last inspection, governors have sharpened their practice. They understand their role to support and challenge leaders in school. They have taken on board training to improve their questioning in meetings and are persistent in getting answers. They have high expectations for all pupils and groups of pupils. This is evident in the minutes of governing body meetings, which show clearly how they hold leaders to account for all pupils’ outcomes.
• Governors are highly committed and take their role in school seriously. They are well informed about the school’s priorities and next steps. They meet key staff regularly in school to ensure that initiatives are having a positive impact on pupils’ progress.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Pupils feel safe in school and know that they can ask adults for help.
• The three members of staff who lead safeguarding all have relevant training. Safeguarding leaders keep staff up to date through staff meetings. New staff, including lunchtime staff, are provided with an induction on safeguarding procedures. Staff are able to say how they keep pupils safe in school.
• The single central record is compliant.
• The safeguarding lead works with other agencies to keep pupils safe. Parents can access the safeguarding and other relevant policies on the website. They feel that their children are safe in school. School practice matches the policy.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching has improved considerably since the last inspection. Teachers have embraced the new curriculum. They plan engaging lessons using exciting materials, which sustain pupils’ interest. They have good subject knowledge and there is a more consistent approach to the teaching of reading and writing. This is due to the effective development of the role of subject leaders and the good-quality training that teachers receive. Teachers know what good progress looks like.
• Teachers use their prior knowledge of pupils’ achievement to plan the next steps in learning. Pupils’ books show that learning moves on quickly where teachers recognise when pupils have mastered work and move them on to next steps, both in lessons and over time. However, this strong teaching was not consistently evident. Leaders do not arrange to share this excellent practice across the school often enough to help all teachers to fully enhance their skills.
• Pupils self-assess their learning by going through a tick list, which highlights what they have to do. Teachers use this well to refocus pupils on how they can be successful in their work.
• Focused reading sessions include a variety of activities that engage and motivate pupils. One group read newspaper articles and then presented a summary of their article to the class. Teachers ask questions to help pupils extend their vocabulary and find information from texts and to check understanding. Year 2 pupils read age-appropriate books with fluency and some expression. They use phonics to decode unfamiliar words. All pupils enjoy reading. A Year 6 pupil said, ‘I get so involved in reading, I think I’m in the book.’
• Leaders have introduced a consistent way of teaching writing, which has a positive effect on pupils’ progress. Teachers use a two-week cycle to provide opportunities for pupils to improve their writing with guided support. Topics include writing a formal letter to Salford Football Club and personifying the feelings of old and new houses.
• Mathematics teaching is good. Teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of the new curriculum, which they use to tailor lessons to meet the needs of different groups of pupils. Mathematics books show a variety of appropriate activities, with evidence of reasoning and problem-solving across all classes. Challenge for the most able pupils is also evident. The teacher provides different levels of work in fractions, thus enabling the more able to make progress.
• Teaching across the curriculum is good. Pupils can access a range of different enrichment activities, such as citizenship, sports, music and art, to extend their knowledge and skills. Pupils develop their writing through history, geography and science, as observed in pupils’ books.
• Teachers set high expectations, meaning that pupils focus on learning. Pupils listen to teachers and each other respectfully.
• Some teaching assistants contribute well to pupils’ learning when they lead small groups. However, they have less of an impact when they support whole-class activities. During these activities, teachers do not deploy teaching assistants as well as they could to maximise pupils’ learning. Consequently, only two or three pupils benefit from their support while in class.
• A small minority of parents expressed concern about the quality of information that they receive about pupils’ progress and the amount of homework that pupils receive. Teachers send home an annual written report and there are two parents’ evenings each year. The new website contains information about the curriculum that parents can access. There is scope for staff to share more information more frequently with parents so that they can celebrate and support children’s achievements more often.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils are confident and take pride in their work. They talk about their favourite lessons with enthusiasm. Pupils’ positive attitudes to learning make a significant contribution to their good progress.
• One governor described the school as ‘a cohesive school with a diverse catchment’. Pupils learn to respect each other. For example, they learn through discrete parts of the curriculum and by discussing current affairs, for example Brexit. They contribute to the wider society through fundraising events for others who are less fortunate than themselves.
• The school is a safe environment. Pupils who spoke with inspectors are confident that there are no bullying or racist comments. Adults deal with infrequent name-calling effectively. All pupils would recommend the school to a friend and they make new pupils feel welcome. Parents who responded to Parent View and those with whom inspectors spoke think that their children are safe in school and are looked after well. One parent said, ‘This is a great school, my son started in September and he has really come out of his shell. He loves coming to school.’
• Older pupils talk knowledgeably about keeping themselves safe online, having completed an e-safety programme.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. The school has an orderly environment where pupils are polite and courteous, saying ‘good morning’ to visitors and holding doors open. During the two days of inspection, all pupils behaved well in lessons, showing excellent behaviour for learning.
• Behaviour at break and lunchtime was similarly good, with pupils playing well together.
• Despite pupils’ exemplary conduct, the overall grade for behaviour is good rather than outstanding. This is because attendance remains below average. Some pupils do not attend school frequently enough to make the most of all that is on offer. This is holding them back. The attendance officer employs a range of whole-school strategies to encourage attendance, which include raffles, involvement of other agencies, work with a local cluster group and fixed-term penalties. The school works with the pupil premium champion to engage families and has had some success involving children in the breakfast club. However, improved parental engagement with pupils’ learning will improve attendance.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils’ enthusiasm for school is evident. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education, both academically and personally.
• In reading, pupils in Year 6 did not reach age-related expectations in 2016. The school has since adopted a more consistent approach to teaching reading, while also developing pupils’ resilience in test conditions. Current assessment data and the progress observed in lessons show that pupils are making good progress from their starting points. Reading journals show the breadth of reading activities.
• Last year not enough pupils managed to demonstrate greater depth in mathematics and writing in key stage 1. However, the work in pupils’ books and the school’s assessment information show that this has now been dealt with effectively. Current pupils are making good progress from their starting points in all year groups.
• A more structured approach to writing has helped pupils to make good progress. All teachers follow the school’s agreed policy for marking, and this has a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Strong practice in writing has been shared with other schools in the local area.
• Disadvantaged pupils make good progress from their starting points compared to other pupils nationally. This means that they reach the expectations for their age in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress in school and achieve as well as their peers.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are making strong progress. Pupils moving from key stage 1 to key stage 2 have made progress in line with their peers.
• Since the previous inspection, the most able pupils have had opportunities to achieve at a higher level. Teachers plan tailored activities to meet their specific needs and enable faster progress. Pupils demonstrate pride in their work in many subject areas. They are keen to show off their work from previous topics.

Early years provision Good

• Most children come into the early years with skills below those expected for their age. Careful assessment, effective planning and good teaching result in all groups of children, including those who are disadvantaged, making good progress from their starting points. Most children leave the early years provision with a good level of development and are well prepared for Year 1.
• Leaders’ relentless focus to improve the provision since the last inspection has had a positive impact on the children’s achievement. The new outdoor space, phonics workshops and speech and language programmes of support are excellent examples of this provision.
• Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive additional support to ensure that they make good progress.
• Developing children’s reading and understanding of new words is a strength. A good example was when a teacher used effective questioning to share the story ‘Jack and the beanstalk’. This allowed children to explain the meaning of new words, suggest different alternatives and use their phonics skills to spell and write words of their own. This focus on reading skills, alongside structured phonics sessions, helps children to make quick progress.
• Children are well behaved and confident learners. They work in pairs alongside each other, remaining focused on their chosen activity. For example, two boys independently made robots from a picture model and then played together with their models. Appropriate adult intervention enables other children who need support to join the group. The adult asked, ‘How many wheels do we need?’ so children could gather the correct materials to make their own model. Adults ask probing questions to move children’s learning on.
• The spacious outdoor provision, made from natural materials, is delightful. Children play and explore in the texture kitchen or go into the secret garden. Children use leaves and branches to make bracelets and sit on wooden blocks in the story shed.
• All parents contribute to the initial assessments when children begin nursery and some add to comments to their children’s learning journey as they move through the early years. Workshops have been organised for parents. However, attendance at these has been poor.
• All safeguarding and welfare requirements are met in full, ensuring that children feel, and are kept, safe.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 105928 Salford 10032171 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils Gender of pupils 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 192 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Anthea Darlington Jane Tyers Telephone number 0161 792 9474 Website Email address www.stpaulsnevileroad.co.uk stpaulsnevilerd.ceprimaryschool@salford.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 29–30 April 2015

Information about this school

• This is a smaller than average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups 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 known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is average.
• The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is average.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection team observed teaching and learning in all classes. The headteacher observed jointly with Her Majesty’s Inspector.
• Inspectors met with six pupils formally, received eight responses from the pupils’ survey and spoke with many pupils informally during the inspection. Inspectors heard four pupils read.
• Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ books and their behaviour in and out of lessons.
• Inspectors considered 28 responses from the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, and spoke with parents in the schoolyard.
• Inspectors received 19 responses to the staff survey and spoke with teachers in school.
• Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documentation relating to all aspects of the school’s work, including minutes of governing body meetings, self-evaluation, improvement planning, leaders’ monitoring of teaching and learning and documents relating to safeguarding.
• Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, middle leaders and three governors and spoke with the local authority representative by telephone.

Inspection team

Jean Robinson, lead inspector Clare Nash Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector