Didsbury CofE Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 22 November 2022

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), enjoy school, behave themselves and mostly achieve well. In some subjects they achieve highly. Pupils said that they learn 'fun details about facts'. Nevertheless, sometimes in the early years, children learn less successfully. Pupils learn to understand values such as self-belief and determination. They know that staff expect them to try hard and to do their best. Pupils form meaningful friendships. A typical pupil comment was 'On my first day at school, I made a really nice friend and we're still friends years later.' They enjoy supportive relationships with staff. This helps pupils to feel happy. Pupils' thoughtful behaviour and kind words reflect the high expectations that leaders and staff have of them. Pupils feel safe because leaders listen to them and deal effectively with any issues of bullying. Pupils with SEND, as well as many other pupils, profit from a wide range of extra activities. The art club is especially popular and pupils said that the art activities help them to express their feelings and learn how to compliment other people's work. Pupils are very proud of how they support one another and help the school. For example, inspectors met with pupils who act as members of the school council, librarians, sports ambassadors, house captains and ethos ambassadors.

What the school should improve

• In a minority of subjects, teachers' delivery of some of the curriculum does not match the content that leaders have identified to be taught. This is a whole- school issue but requires the greatest attention from leaders in the early years. This weakness risks causing gaps in pupils' knowledge. Leaders should make certain that what happens in classrooms matches the curriculum.
• Leaders do not identify all the essential knowledge that pupils, particularly children in the early years, need to build up more complex knowledge. This means that pupils do not learn some subject curriculums as well as they should. Leaders should consider more carefully the knowledge that teachers will teach throughout the school.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)