Godfrey Ermen Memorial CofE Primary School in Eccles, Manchester, underwent an inspection on January 24 and 25, 2024. The overall effectiveness of the school was rated as requiring improvement, alongside the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management. However, personal development and early years provision were rated as good. The school previously received a good rating in its last inspection in November 2022.
Pupils at the school express enjoyment in their learning environment, noting positive relationships with staff and peers. They appreciate the kindness and care shown by their teachers and feel respected among their classmates. The school offers a variety of extracurricular activities, including sports, art, choir, and sewing, which have high participation rates. Older students value lessons on safe cycling in public spaces and take on responsibilities such as school councillors and digital leaders. The school has high expectations for pupil achievement, particularly in early years and core subjects like English and mathematics, including for those with special educational needs and disabilities. However, leaders are still finalizing expectations for other curriculum subjects, and while younger pupils are beginning to achieve well, older pupils have not performed to their potential recently.
The school has made strides in developing its curriculum since the last inspection, establishing broad expectations for knowledge and skills acquisition. In some subjects and early years, these expectations have been broken down into manageable steps, aiding staff in delivering content effectively. This has allowed younger pupils to build a solid foundation of knowledge. Despite these improvements, further work is needed in several subjects where specific knowledge requirements are still being identified. Consequently, teachers lack sufficient guidance on what to teach, leading to gaps in pupils' knowledge and superficial understanding in some areas.
In English and mathematics, the school has implemented assessment strategies to identify learning gaps, which is beginning to help close historical knowledge deficits. However, similar assessments are lacking in most other subjects, leaving the school uncertain about pupils' retention of knowledge. The school is working on improving its ability to evaluate the impact of its curriculum, but this process is still in development, resulting in variability in curriculum implementation.
Pupils demonstrate good behaviour in classrooms and throughout the school, engaging attentively in lessons. Early years children adapt well to classroom routines, receiving effective support to ensure a positive start. However, attendance is not prioritized sufficiently, with ongoing actions to improve attendance not yielding the desired results. Many pupils continue to miss important learning opportunities, leading to knowledge gaps over time.
The school prioritizes personal development, teaching pupils to value diversity and maintain healthy relationships. They learn about online safety and engage with local police to understand community responsibilities. The school provides a range of enriching trips and experiences that enhance learning across the curriculum. Staff are well-equipped to identify pupils with potential special educational needs, ensuring they have access to the same curriculum as their peers.
Staff express satisfaction with the support they receive from leaders regarding workload management. The governing body has seen many new members since the last inspection, increasing the level of challenge to school leaders. However, governors lack sufficient insight into issues affecting pupil achievement, which hinders their ability to focus on the most pressing needs of the school.
The safeguarding arrangements at the school are effective, ensuring a safe environment for all pupils. The school must enhance its strategies to improve attendance, finalize curriculum expectations across all subjects, develop assessment strategies beyond core subjects, and ensure governors are well-informed to provide robust oversight and direction.
