Audenshaw Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils typically achieve well. They told inspectors that they enjoy weekly assemblies, when their successes in learning are celebrated. Pupils also value termly opportunities to share learning with their parents and carers.

Most pupils behave well at social times, forming positive relationships with their peers. Pupils said that they appreciate and enjoy the variety of activities on offer to them at playtimes. However, in lessons, some pupils disrupt the learning of others.

Some pupils and their parents expressed concerns to inspectors that bully...ing was a problem. However, when pupils report incidents of bullying to staff, typically they are dealt with effectively.

While pupils are safe at Audenshaw Primary School, inspectors found some minor shortcomings in the school's safeguarding arrangements.

The school, including governors, does not ensure that its safeguarding records are comprehensive enough. However, pupils are not at risk of harm.

Pupils benefit from a range of experiences that enhance their learning.

For example, pupils across the school enjoy trips and visits, such as to a local theatre at Christmas to watch a pantomime. Pupils in Year 6 participate in adventurous outdoor activities on their residential trip. Pupils can also choose to expand their hobbies and interests, for example by engaging in a range of sports clubs or by joining the school choir.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has made judicious use of external expertise to help it to develop a broad and balanced curriculum. This includes the new early years curriculum, which has been carefully designed to ensure that children acquire knowledge through a wide range of experiences. Children in the early years are well prepared for the demands of Year 1.

In key stages 1 and 2, teachers also design learning which develops pupils' knowledge effectively. In most subjects, teachers know exactly what pupils should learn and by when. Teachers are suitably trained to provide appropriate support for all pupils, including those with SEND.

Pupils with SEND successfully access the same curriculum as their peers.

Teachers make careful checks on pupils' learning. They are alert to the misconceptions that pupils may have, and they act quickly to address these.

Teachers are equally adept at identifying, and supporting, those pupils who may have SEND, or those who may be struggling with their learning. Consequently, pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well.The school takes appropriate actions to ensure that pupils learn to read as rapidly as possible.

It has implemented an effective programme that allows pupils to develop their reading knowledge quickly. Expert staff help pupils to practise their reading using suitable books. However, the school acknowledges that older pupils have not benefited from reading as wide a range of books and texts as they should have.

The school has recently made improvements to the English curriculum to address this shortfall.

The school has not ensured that there is a common culture of high expectations for pupils' behaviour. As a result, sometimes the behaviour of a minority of pupils interrupts the learning of their peers.

In addition, the school has not sufficiently supported staff to tackle any incidents of disruption in a consistent manner. This means that some pupils are left to worry about the possible consequences of any behaviour that does not meet the school's expectations.

The school has thought carefully about what the youngest children should learn about the wider world and life in modern Britain.

This learning is fully integrated into the early years curriculum. This helps staff to support children's personal development well. However, this is not the case for some older pupils.

Some themes, such as personal safety, bullying and diversity, are not fully integrated into the programme of wider personal development. The school does not have a clear and coherent approach to delivering this knowledge.

The school does not typically evaluate the quality of education that it provides to pupils with sufficient rigour.

Governors do not have enough information or expertise to hold the school to account for some aspects of its work. This hinders the school from identifying and addressing areas of weaker practice.

Most staff feel valued and supported by the school.

They appreciate the programme of ongoing training and development that they receive. Staff reported that leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being.

Parents were generally pleased with the information that the school has shared about pupils' learning and progress.

Parents of children in the early years were particularly positive about the efforts of staff to help children to settle into school quickly.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The school has ensured that staff are well trained to recognise and report safeguarding concerns.

Where appropriate, the school promptly seeks help from external agencies to support pupils and families. However, the school does not record staff's concerns about pupils' welfare in a consistent manner. This hinders the school and governors in their efforts to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils do not behave as well as they should. From time to time, the behaviour of these pupils disturbs the learning of others. The school should ensure that it promotes consistently high expectations of pupils' behaviour in key stages 1 and 2.

• The programme for pupils' wider personal development is underdeveloped. This means that pupils do not learn as much as they should about some important topics, for example bullying. The school should make sure that it defines the key knowledge that underpins the programme of wider personal development.

• The school does not record safeguarding concerns as well as it should. This makes it difficult for the school and governors to evaluate the effectiveness of their safeguarding practices. The school should ensure that it has a thorough record-keeping system that is used consistently well.

• The school and the governing body do not have sufficient oversight of the quality of education that pupils receive. This has prevented the governing body from providing a sufficient level of challenge to the school. Those responsible for governance should ensure that they have the knowledge and information that they need to improve the quality of education for pupils.