St Andrew's CofE Primary School, Over Hulton

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 24 February 2026

Pupils learn in a calm and orderly environment where they feel safe and ready to learn. Pupils benefit from positive relationships with staff and feel comfortable seeking help if they are worried. Pupils attend well, and most arrive punctually and settle quickly to their lessons. In subjects where examinations take place at the end of key stage 2, pupils achieve well. They take pride in their work and are keen to share what they know. Pupils benefit from rich opportunities, such as music performances, heritage projects and sporting events, which deepen their knowledge and broaden their experiences. However, pupils’ academic experiences are not yet consistent across the school. Weaknesses remain in the early years and key stage 1, where phonics, blending of sounds, early writing and vocabulary development are still in the early stages of implementation. As a result, some pupils do not secure the essential skills they need to be ready for the next stage of learning. Inconsistent approaches to delivering the curriculum, including in the early years, combined with limited checking of how well pupils learn, lead to gaps in knowledge that go unaddressed. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils do not consistently have their needs identified or receive support that matches their needs closely enough. Leaders accurately identify strengths and improvement priorities, but they do not track this progress with enough rigour. This means they cannot show the impact of much of the work that is underway to rectify the weaknesses that exist. Relationships are warm and respectful, reflecting the school’s vision of 'growing in faith, hope and love'. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school site, showing kindness and consideration towards others. They understand what bullying is, and adults act promptly and appropriately when concerns arise. Pupils feel part of a close community, where the 'Ethos Council' works with local residents and parishioners in shared events. These experiences help pupils to feel valued and connected.

What the school should improve

• Leaders must strengthen the identification of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They should ensure that adaptations and targeted support are implemented consistently so that pupils’ needs are met promptly and they can access learning successfully.
• Leaders must secure a consistent approach to the teaching of early reading, writing and knowledge of the basics across early years and key stage 1 so that pupils build the essential knowledge and fluency needed to achieve well over time.
• Leaders must strengthen the accuracy and use of assessment so that gaps in pupils' knowledge are identified quickly and addressed before they widen.
• Leaders must ensure the indoor and outdoor learning environments in the early years are purposeful and language-rich so that activities consistently promote high-quality learning and support children’s development of communication and early literacy.
• Leaders must establish robust systems for monitoring the actions on their school improvement plan so that leaders and governors can evaluate the impact accurately and drive sustained improvement.

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