St Andrew's CofE Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Build on current improvements in achievement across the school in all subjects, particularly in writing, by:
  • improving the accuracy of pupils’ spelling and their use of grammar and punctuation to enhance their work
  • further raising the challenge given to pupils so that the proportion who reach higher scores compares favourably with national figures
  • providing extra support for any pupils who have yet to reach the standards expected for their age.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• School leaders responded vigorously to the findings of the previous inspection by focusing firmly on their very clear vision to provide pupils with the best-quality teaching and learning. Carefully considered action plans, based on thorough self-evaluation, are regularly checked to ensure that they are having the desired impact.
• Leaders set high aspirations to raise the quality of teaching and, in consequence, achievement has improved. Teaching is closely monitored. Outcomes from monitoring lead to appropriate professional development so that staff enhance their skills, although teaching in grammar, punctuation and spelling is not as successful as in other subjects.
• Staff are expected to implement the feedback they receive and are held accountable for ensuring that their pupils progress well. Consequently, progress is accelerating securely across school. Leaders are tackling any remaining legacy of slower progress due to disrupted teaching in earlier years with additional support, but this legacy has yet to be fully overcome.
• Middle leadership has developed well and makes an increasingly strong contribution to school improvement, for example by holding pupil-progress meetings, sharing specialist knowledge and reporting to governors.
• Good leadership in the early years means that children get a good, secure and happy start to their learning.
• Equal opportunities for all to do well both academically and socially receive high priority, through additional support to meet individual needs. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the support they need and those who find learning easier have further challenges set.
• Pupil premium funding is used well, providing additional support and activities, such as swimming or music lessons, so that disadvantaged pupils can progress as well as their classmates. Any small remaining differences between their performance and that of their classmates are rapidly diminishing.
• Good use of sports funding provides a range of activities such as physical education lessons taught by an expert so that staff gain new skills. Participation in competitions in the Warrington School Sports Partnership has helped more pupils participate in sports and physical activities.
• Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. For instance, trusting and supportive relationships were seen throughout the school, including at lunchtime when older and younger pupils mixed and played happily outside or read to each other in the library.
• Friendship, rights and responsibilities are covered in assemblies and lessons, as well as traditional British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, tolerance and respect for differences. Pupils have opportunities to become school councillors or safety officers, preparing them to be useful citizens.
• The well-planned curriculum is suitably adapted to enable pupils to progress well in all subjects and acquire the numeracy and literacy skills they need across the curriculum and for the future. Pupils say that there are many clubs, such as reading or ethos, and visits, for example to Fiddler’s Ferry Power Station and residential experiences.
• Most parents feel well informed by newsletters, messaging, the website, reports and parents’ evenings, and leaders and staff are always willing to meet parents. During the inspection, a good number of parents attended the workshop provided by the school on preventing children from being radicalised.
• The local authority provides good support for the school. Leaders and governors have made full use of this to check and moderate their judgements of the quality of teaching and learning and to provide training on data analysis for staff and governors.

Governance of the school

• Governors have a valuable range of relevant skills and knowledge which they use effectively to support and challenge school leaders. They are well informed about local and national data and can compare the school’s performance with other schools. They ask probing questions, for example about how leaders are tackling the small remaining inconsistencies in pupils’ progress.
• They check how well pupil premium funding is used, and know it is effective because the progress of disadvantaged pupils improved in 2016 and any differences between this group and their peers are reducing rapidly.
• Governors ensure that salary rewards are given only if staff ensure that their pupils learn and achieve well and that staff performance management leads to further professional development to improve both teaching and management skills.
• They make sure that sports funding is used to provide different activities that enhance pupils’ skills, enjoyment and participation and help staff to learn new skills to pass on to their pupils.
• Governors ensure that pupils acquire traditional values and that the school develops pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepares them well for adulthood.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff training in child protection procedures is up to date. On the second day of the inspection, staff, parents and Year 6 pupils attended workshops on protecting children from radicalisation. E-safety is covered during lessons so that pupils know how to stay safe when using the internet.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The work in pupils’ books, school records and inspection evidence confirm that the quality of teaching is now securely good, due to leaders’ rigorous monitoring and focused professional development. Consequently, pupils progress well and attainment is rising in all subjects, but teaching is less effective in writing, particularly grammar, punctuation and spelling.
• One pupil’s comment, ‘Our teachers help us and give us challenges to up our levels’, was echoed by others and reflects the increasingly high expectations that staff have for their pupils’ achievement. Leaders recognise the need to continue to raise expectations.
• Pupils told inspectors that their favourite subjects include art, mathematics, English, topic and religious education and they talked about the importance of fair testing in science.
• Work is matched closely to pupils’ learning needs so that they can all progress well. Time is managed so no learning time is lost, and pupils respond well, staying involved with their tasks and working hard. The good relationships between staff and pupils observed in all classes boost learning and progress.
• Classrooms are well organised and resourced, with an area where there are challenges, sometimes with three levels of difficulty, encouraging pupils to be confident and aim higher. Pupils are developing good working strategies, for example using the learning aids and prompts on display without needing to be reminded.
• Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ good progress. They provide well-informed support, especially to those who are vulnerable or who need extra help with their learning.
• Clear systems for checking and monitoring pupils’ progress allow staff to plan lessons that extend learning. They analyse and monitor the performance of different groups, such as disadvantaged pupils, boys and girls, and use the information to target extra help where needed.
• Staff mark pupils’ workbooks thoroughly, using the agreed school system. Pupils appreciate this, saying that teachers always comment on what they need to improve. Inspectors saw pupils swiftly putting this guidance into practice during lessons and in dedicated time, when they carefully made their corrections or wrote responses to their teachers.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Parents feel that their children are well looked after and agree that they are kept safe in school. Pupils are confident that staff will sort out any problems and said, ‘All the teachers make us feel safe’.
• Supportive, caring relationships were seen everywhere, for example older pupils playing with Reception children at lunchtimes. Each class has a quiet reflection area, based on the school’s Christian character.
• Pupils are well aware of the difference between right and wrong, and know that they are responsible for their actions and that actions have consequences. They enjoy responsibilities and are keen to become school councillors or eco-councillors. Junior safety officers help pupils keep themselves safe, telling them, for example, not to go knocking on doors at Halloween. Pupils talked about learning about using the internet safely during a lesson in church.
• Pupils say that bullying is not a problem, and say that staff need to know about any worries they may have and will always help. They understand that bullying could happen in many ways, such as repeated name-calling, physically, via the internet or by text. The majority of parents agree that any bullying is dealt with well.
• Very well-organised pastoral care is a strength of the school. Considerate, additional support from staff and external agencies is provided for pupils and families who may be vulnerable, enabling these pupils to participate fully and progress as well as their classmates.
• Breakfast and after-school clubs are well organised, giving those who attend a safe setting, plenty of activities and a secure start and end to the school day.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• One younger pupil described the school as ‘calm’, and others fully agreed, and observations during the inspection support this. Pupils describe behaviour as ‘mostly’ or ‘usually’ good, especially in lessons, and most parents agree. School records and inspection evidence confirm this.
• Meaningful and interesting activities in lessons motivate pupils so they behave and learn well. In just a few instances, pupils lose concentration so their progress slows briefly.
• There is a well-established code of conduct that pupils understand, and behaviour is managed well. Pupils agree that the rewards and rules are fair, and they are keen to earn prizes for good behaviour. There is no record of discrimination or racism, and exclusion is very rarely used.
• Attendance is average for all pupil groups. The school works hard to help pupils and parents appreciate that regular attendance contributes strongly to good progress.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Most pupils start school with skills below those typically found at their age, especially in reading, writing and language, and there is usually a wide spread of ability.
• Due to leaders’ resolute and determined actions, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are high, and they know they are accountable for their pupils’ good progress. Consequently, attainment has risen and progress has accelerated, and pupils leave the school with the skills they need for the next stage of education.
• Published data indicates that the proportion of pupils who made more than the progress expected of them has been below national figures. From their various starting points, all pupils are now making the progress expected of them, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged. School assessment information, pupils’ workbooks and inspection evidence confirm continuing improvement.
• Improved teaching and provision mean that key stage 1 pupils are now making faster progress than in previous years. In 2016, most reached the expectations for their age in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils currently in Year 2 are working at or above the expectations for their age.
• In 2016, attainment was higher than national figures in reading, writing and mathematics but below in grammar, punctuation and spelling. However, few pupils achieved at greater depth in any subject. Better-quality teaching ensures that pupils in key stage 2 are now achieving well.
• The legacy of slower progress by some pupils was due to disruptions to teaching in earlier years. Additional support and extra staffing have been put in place to overcome this and school data show that these pupils are now making better progress than before, but leaders are aware there is more to be done.
• Mathematics is taught well so pupils acquire and use basic number facts in all mathematical concepts. In Year 2, pupils show good understanding of mathematical vocabulary such as ‘greater than’ or ‘less than’, using a ‘crocodile’ symbol to indicate that 88 is greater than 10. Year 4 pupils, working on strategies to help with mental arithmetic, were asked how they could add 99; one quickly said, ‘I would add 100 then take one away’. Pupils use mathematics in other subjects, for example presenting charts of rainfall in different parts of the world in geography.
• Leaders’ strong focus on improving writing has seen a rise in attainment across the school. Most pupils write at length and confidently, and present their work with care. Spelling remains weaker, and pupils are at an early stage of using grammar and punctuation accurately in all subjects. Pupils use and extend their writing skills in other subjects such as history when they write about food rationing in the second world war.
• In 2014 and 2015, the Year 1 phonics screening check results were well below national figures. Leaders reorganised and improved the teaching of phonics and, as a result, the proportion of pupils who met the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check in 2016 exceeded the national figure. Almost all those who did not meet the standard in Year 1 achieved it in Year 2. School analysis shows that current pupils are set to continue this upward trend.
• Reading is regularly set as homework. Younger pupils can use their phonics knowledge to sound out unknown words with good accuracy. Older pupils read frequently, enjoy a wide variety of fiction and many use the school and local libraries. They are well equipped with the reading skills they need across the curriculum.
• Most-able pupils are often set aspirational targets and extra challenges that deepen their thinking and reasoning skills. Talented writers have taken part in weekly higher writing sessions at the local high school, and the ‘better reading club’ challenges the most talented readers. Most-able disadvantaged pupils receive similar challenges and extra provision to develop their particular talents, for example music and swimming lessons. Classroom challenge areas help all pupils aspire to do even better.
• Pupil premium funding is used well and provides extra support, art, music or play therapy and curriculum enrichment, such as visits. In 2015, disadvantaged pupils were about one year behind other pupils nationally in all subjects. School records and analysis show that these pupils are now progressing as well as their classmates, and any remaining attainment differences are rapidly diminishing.
• Well-led and managed provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities ensures that they progress at a similar rate to their classmates. Staff are well trained in assessing their needs and providing support so that these pupils can access all subjects and activities.

Early years provision Good

• Children start school with skills below those typically found at their age, especially in reading, writing, speech and language. Few know how to write their name when they arrive.
• All groups of children, including those who are disadvantaged, make good progress in their academic and social development, and about half the children reach a good level of development by the end of their time in the Reception class. This has risen year on year and school analysis shows that this is rising for all groups. School records show that all children progress well, including those who are disadvantaged. Most are ready for further learning, and good transition arrangements ensure that their learning continues smoothly in Year 1.
• High-quality care and welfare arrangements ensure that children settle into school very quickly and feel very secure. They behave well and soon learn the simple routines that keep them safe, moving between activities carefully, tidying equipment and looking after each other.
• Children’s interest and enthusiasm for learning is stimulated by good-quality teaching. The indoor and outdoor learning areas are carefully organised, providing a well-planned variety of activities across the curriculum for the early years. Children are very keen to work outside, and happily take turns to use the bikes or discuss the dinosaurs they discover in the sand tray.
• Staff use every opportunity to develop language skills, for example encouraging children to describe their feelings while holding the class toy monkey, and during quiet conversations at snack time. Daily phonics sessions promote early reading skills well, and children enjoy their learning in imaginative contexts, such as picking items from the pirate’s sack that start with particular sounds. Few children, however, were seen using the mark-making areas or the well-equipped outdoor ‘writing shed’.
• Early mathematical skills are developed well. Fun activities with lots of repetition help children order and count accurately. Children draw numbers in the sand and add candles to a birthday cake. The teacher really extends learning for the most able children by asking them for one more than 18 or 20, and others watch closely to check they are correct.
• Staff work hard to involve parents, making home visits before children start school and offering regular ‘drop ins’ and ‘stay and play’ sessions to help them support children’s learning at home.
• Leadership of the early years is strong, knowledgeable and effective, shown by the rise in the number of children reaching a good level of development. Staff constantly check how well children are learning, to spot any who need extra help so that they do not fall behind. The action plan for further improvement is ambitious and focuses on appropriate priorities, such as further increasing the number who reach a good level of development.

School details

Unique reference number 111301 Local authority Inspection number Warrington 10019805 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils Gender of pupils 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 191 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Rachel Brougham Wendy McKinnon Telephone number 01925 630497 Website Email address www.standrewswarrington.co.uk/ standrews_primary_head@warrington.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 10–11 September 2014

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The great majority of pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is double the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is higher than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who join the school during the school year is above average.
• The school met government floor standards in 2016. These are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress at the end of Year 6.
• The school provides daily breakfast and after-school clubs.
• Since the time of the previous inspection, there have been a number of staffing changes and governor appointments.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors met with pupils, staff, governors, leaders, some parents as they brought their children to school, a representative from the local authority and the Diocesan governor.
• They observed lessons in all classes. One lesson was observed jointly with the headteacher and another with the deputy headteacher. Inspectors also visited small-group sessions and observed pupils outside and at lunchtime.
• Procedures for safeguarding pupils were scrutinised.
• The inspectors looked at school records, at leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching and the systems used to gather an accurate picture of how well pupils are doing.
• The team looked at pupils’ workbooks and heard readers from Years 1, 2 and 6.
• Inspectors considered the 21 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, and comments on Freetext, the school’s own survey of parent views and the 20 responses from staff.
• On the first day of the inspection, Year 4 pupils were on an educational visit to Fiddler’s Ferry Power Station. On the second day, the school provided a workshop for parents on preventing children from radicalisation and Year 6 pupils were involved in a safeguarding workshop.

Inspection team

Kathleen McArthur, lead inspector Michelle Ravey

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector