Oxton St Saviour's CofE Aided Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by:
  • further developing the skills of middle leaders, other than English, mathematics and science, so that they have more impact on raising standards in teaching and learning across the curriculum
  • improving the accuracy of checks made on pupils’ progress so that leaders have a precise view of where pupils require further support.
• Improve the quality of teaching and learning by:
  • ensuring that the most able pupils are consistently challenged to make strong progress across the curriculum
  • in mathematics in key stage 1, giving pupils more frequent opportunities to develop their reasoning skills.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in the early years, so that children make even stronger progress, by:
  • planning frequent high-quality opportunities for children to develop their skills in writing
  • planning activities which challenge the most able children to enable them to make strong progress.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The new leadership team have established a welcoming and nurturing environment where pupils are encouraged to develop a love of learning. The school’s strong Christian ethos lies at the heart of the curriculum. Staff provide pupils with a range of opportunities to develop as caring and kind citizens. For example, pupils take part in charitable fundraising for local, national and international charities.
• Leaders evaluate teaching and learning through regular learning visits and work scrutiny, particularly in English, science and mathematics. They know the school’s strengths and areas to improve.
• The new leadership team have taken steps to improve the systems used to measure pupils’ progress and identify where pupils need further support. These systems are still embedding, and leaders are taking steps to further improve their accuracy.
• The leadership of English, mathematics and science is effective. Leaders of these subjects have a clear understanding of which aspects of their subjects need improving, for instance developing pupils’ reasoning skills in mathematics in key stage 1. In other subjects, such as history, geography and art, middle leaders are developing their skills and knowledge so that they have a greater impact on teaching and learning, including for the most able pupils.
• The curriculum is engaging and develops pupils’ skills and knowledge across a range of subjects. Leaders plan frequent interesting trips and visits to enrich the curriculum and develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Residential outdoor and adventurous trips build pupils’ confidence and resilience.
• Leaders have planned regular assemblies and prayer times to teach pupils to be reflective and thoughtful. Pupils value the times they are given to pray quietly. The local vicar visits school regularly to lead assemblies and worship, strengthening links with the church and wider community.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) provides good leadership. Pupils’ different needs are identified quickly, and their learning is precisely assessed to identify any barriers to progress. Staff provide a wide range of interventions and strategies to remove these barriers. Regular meetings with parents, carers and, when needed, other agencies and professionals, are used well to share information about pupils’ learning. Provision is reviewed regularly to ensure that it is having maximum impact. As a result, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress from their starting points. Their overall rates of attendance are high.
• Leaders use the additional funding for disadvantaged pupils to ensure that staff quickly address gaps in learning and any additional needs these pupils have. Leaders carefully check the progress of disadvantaged pupils to ensure that the support provided has the impact that it should.
• Leaders have established close partnerships with parents. Parents feel welcome. They appreciate that staff are ready to listen to any concerns they have and to address these quickly. Parents are fully involved in their children’s learning, attending meetings, assemblies and other events on a very regular basis. For example, parents contributed to a world food festival in school, cooking food from different countries and sharing it with the school community. Leaders distribute regular parent questionnaires to gather the views of parents and to check these are in line with the school’s self-evaluation.
• Leaders use the sport premium effectively to improve pupils’ skills, knowledge, health and well-being. Pupils take part in a wide range of activities including very regular competitions with other schools, such as cross country and tag rugby. Leaders encourage pupils to adopt a healthy lifestyle, for example staying active at lunchtimes by participating in games such as basketball.
• The curriculum provides pupils with a good understanding of British values including the rule of law and equality of opportunity. Pupils elect their peers to leadership roles such as sports ambassadors and science leaders. Pupils have a detailed knowledge of the school’s behaviour policy and learn about the school’s values, including courage and compassion. Staff teach pupils to be inclusive and value others. For example, pupil play leaders model good behaviour at playtimes. Staff teach pupils to respect faiths other than their own, including Islam and Judaism.

Governance of the school

• Governors share the headteacher’s vision to provide an engaging curriculum, firmly rooted in strong Christian values, which prepares pupils well for their next stage of education.
• Governors have a clear and accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for further development. They provide challenge and support for staff. Leaders give detailed information to governors about the work of the school. The headteacher actively encourages challenge from governors.
• Governors monitor the school’s budget carefully and ask questions about the impact of spending decisions on pupils’ learning. They keep a careful check on the difference that teaching makes to outcomes for pupils, including pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• All statutory checks are in place to ensure the suitability of adults working in school. Appropriate checks are made on visitors when they arrive at the school. The school site is safe and secure.
• Leaders ensure that safeguarding is a high priority. They make sure staff receive regular and appropriate training to identify any signs of possible danger or potential abuse. As a result, staff are vigilant and understand that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
• Leaders have created a safe and caring culture in which pupils feel confident that they have someone to talk with if they are worried. Staff provide a well-planned range of nurture provision for pupils who need additional support, and this is valued by pupils. Pupils spoken with during the inspection said they feel safe.
• Staff provide useful safety training and advice for pupils. For example, pupils learn about fire safety and how to keep themselves safe when cycling on the road. Older pupils learn about the dangers of alcohol, cigarettes and drugs.
• Staff teach pupils how to keep themselves safe when using the internet. The school has an appropriate filtering system in place to ensure that pupils do not access inappropriate material online.
• Pupils have a very detailed understanding of different forms of bullying. They know that they should speak to a trusted adult if they have any concerns.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The new leaders’ focus on improving teaching has been successful. Teachers are clear about what they want pupils to learn. Pupils listen carefully to teachers’ instructions and are keen to contribute to class discussions. They work well with their peers. Teachers provide activities to develop pupils’ independent learning skills. For example, in Year 3 in geography, pupils enhanced their knowledge of coastal areas in the United Kingdom by carrying out their own research activities.
• Teachers enthuse their pupils and plan a variety of trips and visits to engage and support their learning. For example, Year 3 and 4 pupils enjoyed a Stone Age workshop in school, taking part in activities, such as making jewellery and using flints to make a spark for a fire. Through such experiences, pupils’ learning is brought to life and their progress improves.
• Leaders have put in place detailed systems to check the progress that pupils make in their learning, including pupils with SEND. Staff are developing these systems to ensure that they have a precise view of pupils’ progress. Despite these adjustments to assessment, staff identify any pupils falling behind. Teachers are less effective in identifying the needs of the most able. In some classes and lessons, these pupils are not routinely pushed to make the strong progress of which they are capable
• Teaching of writing is effective. Teachers instruct pupils in the use of dictionaries and thesaurus to improve their knowledge of ambitious vocabulary. Teachers use the correct vocabulary in different subjects and pupils respond with use of this vocabulary in their work. Pupils are taught to write for a range of different purposes and across different areas of the curriculum, including geography, history and science. Across the school, pupils use their grammar, punctuation and spelling very accurately in their writing.
• Staff teach pupils to use cursive handwriting. Younger pupils practise their handwriting skills regularly and quickly develop a fluent and neat style. Pupils show care and pride in their work.
• Teachers share a wide variety of texts with pupils to develop their reading skills. Effective teaching secures pupils’ phonics knowledge so that, by Year 2, pupils are confident and fluent readers. Pupils’ work shows that teachers provide frequent opportunities to practise their comprehension skills by answering questions drawn from different texts. Pupils leave the school with the ability to read a range of texts with understanding. Occasionally, teachers do not challenge the most able pupils to deepen their learning even further.
• Teaching of mathematics is successful. Teachers provide pupils with a good understanding of number and insist their written calculations are carefully recorded and accurate. Pupils develop their fluency and confidence by practising their skills regularly. In key stage 2, teachers provide all pupils with work that helps them to gain confidence to attempt tricky and challenging problems. However, in key stage 1, teaching is less effective in challenging pupils. Pupils have limited practice to develop their reasoning skills. The work that teachers plan is sometimes too easy for the most able pupils.
• Pupils leave the school with a range of key skills developed in different sports, including tag rugby, gymnastics and basketball.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Leaders plan a programme of lessons and assemblies which develop pupils’ understanding of how to live out the school’s Christian values, including forgiveness, generosity and respect. Visitors, including the local vicar, teach pupils how to apply these values to their own lives. Pupils develop as caring and considerate individuals.
• The recently introduced nurture provision provides a valuable programme of support for individual and small groups of pupils, carefully planned by the pastoral leader and SENCo. Pupils develop their resilience, social skills and confidence. For example, during the inspection, a small group were enjoying taking part in an engaging session which linked keeping active with resilience in the classroom. Other pupils were developing their communication skills through a team activity.
• Staff teach pupils to value different cultures and ethnicities. The school community organised a world food festival, including learning about countries across the world. Pupils described how they had enjoyed finding out about the home countries of their peers. Pupils learn to value other religions, including Islam and Judaism.
• Leaders provide areas of prayer and reflection across the school. Pupils value times for quiet contemplation and reflection.
• Opportunities to develop pupils’ resilience and confidence are built into the curriculum. For example, pupils enjoy residential trips, taking part in activities including climbing and sailing.
• The school’s curriculum includes an engaging series of lessons delivered to pupils by ex-Royal Marines. Pupils learn about values including courage, discipline and respect, and how they can develop these values in their own lives. Pupils described how they valued and enjoyed these lessons, which developed their teamwork and confidence.
• Leaders make sure that pupils lead healthy lives in school. Sports coaching, funded through the sports premium, has had a good impact on developing the skills of pupils. They enjoy a wide range of physical opportunities, including yoga, basketball and cricket. Leaders provide pupils with role models in sport. One pupil described her pride in winning an inspirational sports award for her defence work in football.
• Staff teach pupils about the different forms that bullying might take, for example homophobic bullying or racism. Pupils report that bullying is rare. They are confident that staff deal quickly with any incidents.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Staff monitor incidents of misbehaviour and deal with these appropriately.
• Pupils enjoy school life and they attend very regularly. Levels of attendance are above national averages and the vast majority of pupils arrive punctually to school, ready and keen to learn. Pupils new to the school are welcomed and quickly make new friends.
• Older pupils are role models to younger pupils, taking on a wide range of leadership activities including sports leaders and playground leaders. Some of these roles are newly established and pupils are keen to develop their contributions to school life.
• Leaders have taken effective actions to improve behaviour at lunchtimes. For example, staff provide pupils with a range of activities to keep them healthy and active, including basketball and netball. The school’s pastoral lead provides additional emotional and social support for pupils when needed.
• In lessons, pupils behave well. They are enthusiastic learners and listen respectfully to adults and their peers. Pupils are keen to answer questions and contribute well to class discussions. The majority of pupils persevere and work with sustained concentration.
• Most pupils move around the school calmly. On occasion, a small number of pupils rush in corridors and are boisterous as they move around the school.
• Pupils live out the school’s Christian identity, generously helping others. For example, pupils take part in very regular fundraising events for a wide variety of charities, including sending resources to a community in Uganda, and collecting for a local food bank.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Work in pupils’ books and the schools’ information identifies current pupils make good progress across different subjects and year groups. However, the progress of the most able pupils is not consistently strong across the curriculum, although this is improving.
• In recent years, pupils’ results of national tests at the end of key stage 1 and 2 show attainment has been above the national average in reading and writing, and in line with the national average in mathematics. The proportion of pupils exceeding the expected standards have been broadly in line with national averages in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 1 and key stage 2.
• Progress in reading and writing is good. Work in pupils’ books shows that they read and understand challenging texts and write with fluency and sophistication.
• Leaders have taken steps to improve mathematics teaching and this has had a positive impact on progress, particularly in key stage 2. Pupils make good progress and develop the ability to tackle a range of problems successfully. However, in key stage 1, pupils are less confident when trying to solve tricky problems as their reasoning skills are less well developed.
• In science, pupils make good progress. They develop the skills to work scientifically, planning scientific enquiries to answer questions. They record data accurately and acquire a good knowledge of scientific vocabulary as part of their learning.
• Music specialists teach pupils to play musically, with confidence and control. During the inspection, Year 4 pupils were learning new notes to play on the clarinet and played tunefully and with enjoyment.
• In Year 1, pupils’ attainment in the phonics screening test has been higher than the national average in recent years. Teachers plan regular activities to develop pupils’ phonics skills. Pupils apply these skills to their reading and read with confidence and fluency.
• Pupils with SEND make good progress from their different starting points. Leaders use additional funding to support these pupils well. Disadvantaged pupils make good progress across the school. Leaders’ checks on pupils’ progress, and the work in the books of disadvantaged pupils, show that they make progress in line with other pupils nationally.
• Leaders develop pupils’ knowledge of healthy lifestyles, including keeping active. All pupils represent the school in inter-school competitions and events, including swimming, basketball and gymnastics.
• Pupils enjoy learning and develop their skills and knowledge across different subjects. They leave the school ready for their next stage of education.

Early years provision Good

• Leaders have provided a safe and nurturing learning environment for children in Reception. Staff provide a wide range of opportunities for children to play, explore and investigate. During the inspection, children in the outdoor area were playing cooperatively and with sustained concentration, chatting happily in the different areas of learning. One group of children were working together constructing a dinosaur house. Other were extending their skills writing down food orders in the outdoor café.
• The proportion of children reaching a good level of development at the end of Reception is above the national average. Most children join the early years with skills and knowledge that are typical for their age. As a result of well-planned learning opportunities, most children make good progress from their starting points and leave Reception ready for Year 1. However, visits to lessons and scrutiny of work show that staff do not plan enough activities which challenge the most able children in their learning to ensure that they make even stronger progress.
• Leadership is effective. Leaders have planned an engaging curriculum for children in early years. For example, staff plan food technology sessions for children to learn new techniques and skills, such as grating and cutting, listening and turn taking. Children enjoy making a wide range of food, including bread, yoghurt parfait and butter. This develops their knowledge and understanding of different textures and tastes. Through a visit to a local supermarket, children learned about a healthy diet.
• Staff provide activities for children to develop their fine motor skills. During the inspection, children were carefully cutting and sticking tissue paper onto a large dinosaur template, showing great care and precision. Others were making shapes from play dough. Children practise their handwriting by regularly writing their names. They write neatly and with confidence. Children’s workbooks show that they use their developing phonics skills to sound out words. However, teachers do not plan challenging activities for children to develop their writing skills. As a result, children do not make the strong progress of which they are capable in writing.
• Teachers plan daily phonics lessons to ensure that children develop their early reading skills. Teachers read to children regularly. Staff give parents additional guidance to support their children with reading.
• Through effective questioning and discussion, staff extend children’s thinking. They develop children’s language skills by engaging them in conversation and sharing books with them. During the inspection, children listened with a sense of wonder and awe as their teacher led them on a dinosaur adventure. Teachers use a wide range of ambitious vocabulary to extend children’s learning and understanding.
• Leaders gather a range of information from other providers and parents to make sure that children make a smooth and successful start to school. Children settle quickly.
• Staff work closely with other professionals and with parents to provide the right additional support for children with SEND. For example, some children receive additional speech and language support. Children with English as an additional language receive appropriate additional support including at lunchtimes.
• Staff in the early years keep their skills and knowledge up to date through regular training provided by leaders, including safeguarding and first aid. Staff ensure that medicines are administered in line with the school’s policy.
• Children listen respectfully to adults and their peers and follow instructions quickly and carefully. Behaviour is good and children move around the classrooms calmly and use equipment safely and with care.
• The indoor and outdoor learning environments in the early years are safe and secure. Staff carry out regular risk assessments to check that equipment and classroom areas are safe.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 105066 Wirral 10090524 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary aided 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 247 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Guy Edwards Andy Ramsden 0151 652 4909 www.oxtonstsavioursschool.com schooloffice@oxtonstsaviours.wirral.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 25 February 2009

Information about this school

• A new headteacher was appointed in January 2018. A new deputy headteacher was appointed in September 2018.
• The vast majority of pupils are White British.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is lower than the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is lower than the national average.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes. Some sessions were observed jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.
• An inspector met with four representatives of the governing body, including the chair of the governing body.
• An inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.
• The inspectors met with a group of Year 5 pupils and talked with pupils in classes and around the school.
• An inspector listened to a small number of pupils read from Year 2 and Year 5.
• Inspectors met with a group of middle leaders and the early years leader.
• An inspector met with the SENCo.
• A range of pupils’ books and tracking records were scrutinised by inspectors.
• Inspectors spoke with a number of parents to seek their views.
• The inspectors scrutinised a variety of documentation, including the school’s own self-evaluation and development plan, minutes of governing body meetings and records relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance. A range of documentation regarding safeguarding was also scrutinised.

Inspection team

Elizabeth Stevens, lead inspector Suzanne Blay Maureen Hints Chris Metcalfe

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector