Warrington St Ann’s CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school's values of respect, hope and perseverance are golden threads running through the life of Warrington St Ann's Church of England Primary School.

Pupils live out these values in their work and play. Pupils, and their families, are pleased to be part of this friendly and caring school community.

From Nursery Year, children learn to be kind to each other.

Pupils get on well together across the school. They are polite and respectful towards staff and each other.

Pupils trust adults to help them if they have any worries.

Pupils said that any incidents of bullying are dealt with quickly by adults. Pupils feel safe and happy at school..../>
Pupils are delighted that clubs and activities, including the book club, have now restarted after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Older pupils benefited from the recent overnight trip to Delamere Forest.

Pupils enjoy the different subjects that they are taught, and teachers expect pupils to work hard. The youngest children get off to a good start in early years.

While learning is well planned in reading and mathematics in Years 1 to 6, the curriculum plans in some other subjects do not set out clearly enough what pupils should be learning. Consequently, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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

Overall, pupils follow a broad and balanced curriculum at Warrington St Ann's Church of England Primary School.

Leaders have successfully focused on adopting and implementing new curriculums across early years, and in mathematics and reading. These curriculum plans set out the precise knowledge that children and pupils should know and remember. Leaders have made sure that staff have had the training and support that they need to plan and deliver lessons well in these areas.

As a result of improved curriculum planning, children are flourishing in early years. They are well prepared for Year 1. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 are now making secure progress in reading and mathematics.

However, this is not the case in some other subjects across key stages 1 and 2. Several curriculum plans do not set out precisely the knowledge and skills that pupils must learn. Added to this, these plans do not always make clear the order in which new knowledge should be taught.

This means that some teachers do not successfully build on what pupils already know and can do. Some subject curriculums do not capitalise on the strong grounding that children receive in early years. These weaknesses in subject planning hinder some pupils' achievement.

Some subject leaders have not had the training and support that they need to carry out their roles as effectively as they could. Equally, some leaders do not always check how well teachers deliver the curriculum for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Some pupils with SEND do not achieve as highly as they should.

Pupils get off to a strong start in reading. Teachers introduce the phonics programme at the start of Reception Year. Teaching staff have had the training and support needed to help them deliver the programme consistently well.

Small-group support sessions help those pupils who join the school part-way through the year to catch up with their reading. They also help those pupils who find learning to read trickier to keep up. Leaders check on pupils' progress closely.

Teaching staff across the school promote a love of reading. They signpost pupils to appropriate books that they may enjoy. Teaching staff also set up cosy reading corners and well-attended book clubs.

A significant number of pupils join the school at different times during the school year. New pupils and their families are made to feel welcome. These pupils settle in well.

Any potential needs are quickly identified and assessed, including for those pupils with SEND. Staff use this information well to identify any specialist support that pupils need.

The school is calm and orderly throughout the day.

Leaders' high expectations for behaviour are established right from the start. There is effective support for those pupils with SEND who need additional help to manage their behaviour. The youngest children in Nursery Year help to tidy up, and take turns and share.

They too learn and behave well.

Pupils are proud to represent their school in sporting and musical events. They are keen to improve their local community.

Last week, the local Member of Parliament visited the school in response to a letter from pupils setting out their concerns about the local internet service.

Recently, the governing body has recruited new members with relevant expertise. The governing body has also restructured its meetings.

Governors are now appropriately challenging some of the curriculum decisions that leaders have made.

Most staff enjoy working at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff undertake regular safeguarding training. Staff understand their roles and responsibilities. Staff understand how to implement leaders' policies and procedures for keeping pupils safe.

All staff are trained well to identify and support pupils who may experience peer-on-peer abuse.

Staff make sure that they record and report any safeguarding concerns in a timely manner. Leaders make sure that these concerns are followed up appropriately.

Leaders work well with external agencies to ensure that pupils and their families get the help that they need.

Pupils receive appropriate support to stay safe and healthy through the personal development programme. This includes how to stay safe online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some subject curriculum plans do not set out precisely the knowledge and skills that pupils should be taught and the order in which these should be learned. This is because some subject leaders have not had the training and support needed to design well-planned curriculums that build from early years through to the end of key stage 2. Pupils, including some pupils with SEND, do not achieve as well as they should in these subjects.

Senior leaders and governors should ensure that subject leaders have the training and support that they need to plan effective curriculums. ? In some subjects, leaders and governors do not routinely check that teachers are delivering the school's curriculum as intended. Added to this, leaders do not ensure that pupils are developing the subject knowledge and skills expected.

Nor do they ensure that curriculum plans are adapted well for pupils with SEND. Consequently, pupils, including those with SEND, experience a varying quality of education across subjects. Senior leaders should make sure that they have appropriate systems in place to check how effectively pupils, including those with SEND, are learning the intended curriculum.

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