Dixons Marchbank Primary Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Ensure that pupils reach higher standards in reading by: developing pupils’ comprehension skills so that they can read, understand and talk about a text in depth giving pupils clear guidance on what they need to do to improve their reading skills training teachers to teach reading to older pupils teaching the youngest children how to choose books to read for pleasure.
• Improve the quality of teaching to be consistently good or outstanding by: sharing the best practice in school to maintain long-term improvements raising expectations of how quickly pupils respond to teachers’ instructions improving pupils’ handwriting and presentation ensuring that school policies and procedures for the teaching of reading are consistently applied across all classes.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher and her senior leaders have established a positive attitude in pupils and school staff. Leaders have high expectations for the quality of teaching. They require classrooms to be well organised with resources for the pupils to use to help them learn.
• The appointment of new people in key roles has strengthened leadership and is leading the school forward in their different subjects. New leaders are enthusiastic, with good ideas to improve the quality of learning.
• Teachers receive regular training and new teachers have been given a high standard of professional guidance. The leadership team has monitored and evaluated teachers’ performance. Performance management targets are clearly linked to pupils’ progress and attainment. Support has been given where teaching is weaker and this has had a marked impact on improving the quality of teaching.
• The school’s development plan sets out a path to improvement with ambitious but realistic targets for pupils’ achievement. Leaders have been resourceful in using support from the multi-academy trust as well as other schools to improve the quality of teaching and learning. This means that the school has an accurate view of its own effectiveness and has been instrumental in improving pupils’ achievement.
• The school has introduced several initiatives to improve pupils’ achievement in reading, some of which are making a difference. The classrooms and school library are attractive places to be and to enjoy a book. While these changes have resulted in pupils enjoying reading, they have not addressed the needs of some of the most able readers who sometimes struggle with the meaning of difficult words and phrases because their grasp of English is still maturing.
• Attractive displays around the school celebrate a range of work across many subjects which are well planned through different topics, such as ‘Staying alive’ or ‘The Great Fire of London’. Pupils have developed a broad range of skills across the curriculum and talk about their enjoyment of learning. The many trips and visits the pupils experience bring the curriculum to life and this is reflected in the quality of their work, such as their poetry or model-making.
• Lessons, assemblies and visits promote effective reflection on faith, culture and personal choices. Pupils show respect for people from all backgrounds and faiths and have a good understanding of British values. They follow school rules. They understand the democratic process and can relate that to the procedures in school such as voting for the members of the school council and the charity of their choice. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• The school has created a safe culture to look after its pupils and so pupils feel protected. All staff have a comprehensive induction in safeguarding and this is emphasised throughout the school’s work as well as in lessons. As a result, pupils feel safe in school and confident to refer to a ‘trusted adult’.
• Leaders have effectively used the pupil premium funding to provide extra teaching and welfare support for disadvantaged pupils. The school’s approach to mentoring these pupils means that they have developed some good strategies for coping so that their learning is not interrupted and their progress is as fast as everyone else’s.
• The primary schools sport funding has been used effectively to pay for a specialist coach. This results in pupils getting good-quality physical education lessons and provides structured physical play during break- and lunchtimes. The school offers a range of extra-curricular activities such as fencing and cricket so that pupils can participate in different sports, although they would like to represent the school in more competitions. learning and holds the senior leaders to account.

Governance of the school

• Governance of the school is good. It has a sharp focus on the quality of teaching and
• Governors have a good understanding of the quality of teaching across the school and
• Governors understand that the progress pupils make should be the main driver when awarding pay increases for teachers and the headteacher. They are fully prepared to challenge underperformance where teaching has not been good. are committed to ensuring that the staff they appoint provide value for money.
• Governors can talk about how well different groups of pupils are doing across the school and where improvements need to be made. Governors are well informed about when the progress of pupils is not as good as it should be, so the school can eradicate any barriers that stop these pupils from learning.
• Governors understand and can explain the positive impact the school has had in raising the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. It has spent the pupil premium grant wisely to provide support and resources for this group of pupils.
• Governors are fully conversant with their statutory duties for safeguarding; the school’s systems for safeguarding pupils are effective.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and safeguarding is a high priority in the school. The school works closely with external agencies and parents where appropriate so that pupils are well supported and feel safe.
• Pupils’ attendance is good. The school has been relentless in following up absence and promoting attendance. A few parents persist in taking their children out of school during term time to visit relatives abroad. In these cases, the school makes sure that pupils return safely to school.
• Teachers and pupils are aware of the school’s procedures for safeguarding. Training for staff is up to date and they are aware of their obligations in preventing radicalisation and extremism. The school is keen to give pupils the opportunity to go on school trips and plans these with detailed risk assessments so that pupils are safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Overall, the quality of teaching is good and pupils make good progress throughout the school. The quality of teaching of the younger pupils is consistently good or outstanding, which means that pupils are well prepared for key stage 2.
• The teaching of English has a high priority and the introduction of new and interesting words for all pupils is promoted through lessons and on school displays, where each year group chooses a word of the week. For pupils entering school with no English, direct teaching in small groups soon helps these pupils become integrated into the school and to make good progress.
• Teachers use information technology that engages the pupils’ interest and motivates them to learn. In a mathematics lesson, pupils were keen to play a game ordering fractions on the interactive whiteboard and this helped them gain a quick understanding of a tricky mathematical concept. Pupils were also avidly focused on using technology to practise their reading using an assessment programme that the school has recently purchased.
• The teaching of writing is a particular strength. Teachers ensure that pupils learn the skills to write sentences accurately in English and spell words correctly. As a result, pupils are able to write effectively for different purposes and for a range of audiences. Pupils talked about their enjoyment of writing, including poetry.
• The good quality of teaching in a range of subjects is effectively supported by frequent trips and visitors which stimulate pupils’ interest in a topic. Pupils in key stage 2 visited a museum during the inspection to learn about the Victorians. This had developed a keen interest in learning about this period of history. Pupils were able to recount how Victorian school discipline worked when teachers were allowed to use a cane and dunce’s hat, which was not something pupils were keen to see implemented in their school!
• The progress that pupils are making is checked frequently, and any gaps in their understanding are planned into lessons. Teachers’ marking in books provides some good feedback and points to improve. In mathematics, this has been effective in getting pupils to explain their mathematical reasoning and accelerating progress in this subject.
• Nearly all teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and the presentation of work. Where this is the case, pupils respond quickly to the teacher’s instructions, work well together and get on with their work, taking a pride in the presentation and their handwriting. In key stage 2, not all teachers make sure that this high standard is maintained.
• The teaching of reading has been highly effective lower down the school and pupils leave key stage 1 as competent readers. This good practice has not been used as well as it could so that teachers in key stage 2 build on this earlier success.
• The quality of teaching reading in key stage 2 is patchy in places because not all teachers follow the school’s policies and procedures. Pupils are not always clear about what they need to do to improve their reading skills once they can decode the words. Pupils willingly resort to a dictionary to find out what a word means, but this hinders their flow and understanding of what they are reading, particularly with harder books.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. The school has invested time and effort into supporting both the pupils’ physical well-being and their mental health. The school’s breakfast and after-school clubs provide a safe and well-organised place to start and finish the day.
• The online safety workshop for parents that was held during the inspection is one of many occasions that the school hosts to support parents to help their children. There is a strong commitment by the school to ensure the well-being of the most vulnerable pupils and their families so that these pupils can achieve well.
• Funding is used to provide opportunities for extra-curricular clubs and trips for pupils who would otherwise not get the chance to participate in out-of-school activities; this is having a positive impact on disadvantaged pupils.
• Pupils say that they feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe. Pupils are very well informed about safety when using the internet and which websites they should and should not use. They know what to do with bullying if it occurs.
• Pupils were clear that people had a right to make different life choices and hold different views, but were clear about not being persuaded to do something they thought was wrong. They respect the fact that people may have a different culture or religion. One pupil told a team inspector, ‘you are welcome here regardless of religion or dress.’ They are well prepared to develop into good citizens in a tolerant and diverse Britain.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. They have good attitudes and this is reflected in their positive view of school. When adults give clear instructions and are consistent in their expectations of behaviour and conduct, pupils respond quickly and listen well to the adults and their peers.
• Pupils are courteous and polite and smartly turned out in their purple uniforms. Pupils are confident in the school’s systems to sort out any problems they have. Pupils have good relationships with each other and with the adults. They have a good understanding of bullying, including any related to gender or race.
• Pupils take a pride in their school and their work. They were keen to show the lead inspector their ‘poppy poems’ which they had written for Remembrance Day. Their compositions were sensitive and spiritual as they wrote their thanks for those who had sacrificed themselves during wartime.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Many pupils enter school with little or no English. The school’s effective support for these pupils means that they soon learn enough English so they can join in the lessons and they quickly catch up with other pupils, particularly in mathematics and writing.
• In Year 1, pupils achieve well in phonics when compared with others nationally. By the end of Year 2, nearly all pupils know the sounds they are expected to learn and their achievement is in line or better than the national average.
• At the end of key stage 1, standards are better or broadly the same in writing and mathematics. In reading, overall standards are similar to the national average, but are lower for those disadvantaged pupils who are able to read at a more advanced level.
• By the end of key stage 2, pupils have made good progress in writing and mathematics. They are able to write confidently for different audiences. Pupils’ good progress in mathematics is evident in their books and the most able pupils are now mastering the subject in greater depth.
• In reading, pupils enter key stage 2 with good phonic knowledge which enables them to decode words. Many pupils who speak English as an additional language have a limited understanding of some words they meet in more advanced texts and this slows their progress when reading harder books.
• The difference in boys’ and girls’ achievement varies from year to year. Boys generally come into school with a head start and make quicker progress in mathematics. However, by the time pupils reach key stage 2, boys’ and girls’ progress evens out in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils enjoy science. Older pupils have a good grasp of scientific facts as well as how to conduct a fair test, in designing an experiment to discover the most effective form of exercise. Younger pupils have a basic understanding of how different materials change shape when warm or cold.
• While the attainment of disadvantaged pupils has been broadly the same as the national average in writing and mathematics, like their peers in school, once they tackle more difficult books their progress slows in reading.
• Extra guidance in groups with a suitable choice of resources, as well as good support in lessons by skilled teaching assistants, means that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. Observations during the inspection showed this group of pupils to be well integrated and confident in lessons.
• The most able pupils achieve well in mathematics and writing and this is because work is pitched at the right level and teachers have high expectations. In mathematics, pupils are often challenged by open-ended questions that require considerable thought and application of their mathematical skills. In writing, they confidently write for a range of audiences.

Early years provision Good

• Children in the early years get off to a good start in Nursery and Reception. They happily learn and play together. Many children enter the early years speaking little or no English. Their skills and knowledge are below those typical for their age, particularly in language development and their knowledge and understanding of the world.
• Relationships with parents are good. Parents are welcomed in the morning and children settle well because they are attracted to the rich variety of activities. Staff are highly skilled in supporting both children and parents to improve their spoken English and increase their vocabulary. The learning environment reflects a richness of language, with activities and work marked out with labels, captions and questions, some written by the children.
• The quality of teaching and high expectations result in children making good progress. Most children achieve a good level of development for their age when they leave the Reception class and are well equipped for key stage 1.
• The teaching of phonics is effective and children join in enthusiastically with the rhymes to help learn their sounds so they can read simple words. Two boys were very keen to ‘play teachers’ with the lead inspector, showing her how to use the phonic word cards correctly by pointing out the separate sounds.
• The reading areas are attractive places to share or read books, which are well displayed. However, children are keener to choose the practical and physical activities than to sit quietly with a book and develop good reading habits.
• Children have good relationships with adults as well as with each other; routines and expectations are established from the start. Children’s behaviour is good in the classroom and in the outside area. Children with a secure command of English are confident in approaching adults and engaging in conversation.
• There is a wealth of stimulating things for young children to do. They cooperate with each other, and organised their own play, dressing up in character. Outside, children confidently climb on the apparatus or play games with small equipment. They are able to select and manage simple tools to cut and stick or create a cake with modelling clay and lollipop sticks.
• The basic skills of mathematics and language are well planned within the classroom as well as in the outdoor areas. Numbers and labels signpost activities. Children’s mathematical understanding was improved as they enjoyed ordering three bears by size and weight through the story of Goldilocks and the three bears.
• The leadership of the early years has improved the quality of learning for these young children. Adults make frequent checks on what the children can do and what they need to learn next. This is particularly evident in the activities that are provided for them to choose from and practise their reading, writing and mathematical skills. Challenges are provided for children to solve problems, act out in various role-play areas or construct something using a range of equipment.
• Teaching is good, and the needs of individual children, including children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, are well met. Additional funding has been used effectively to ensure that disadvantaged children make good progress and achieve well.
• Assessment of children’s learning is comprehensive and attractively displayed in folders for parents and children to share. The planning of activities is securely based on what the children need to learn next.
• The welfare and safety of the youngest children are given a high priority in the early years. Staff are skilled and responsive to children’s individual needs. Good links with external agencies and specialists support children who have specific needs so they are motivated learners, able to participate fully in school life. Transition arrangements are good; staff make home visits prior to children starting. All health and safety requirements are met and the unit is a safe place for children.

School details

Unique reference number 140358 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 10019698 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 3 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 500 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ruby Bhatti Principal Janet Relton Telephone number 01274 772154 Website www.dixonsmb.com Email address admin@dixonsmb.com Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Dixons Marchbank Primary School is part of the Dixons group of academies.
• This school is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The majority of pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds and do not speak English as their first language.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is higher than average.
• The proportion of pupils who have support for special educational needs and/or disabilities is lower than average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors visited lessons in all classrooms, some with the headteacher. In addition, the inspectors observed small groups of pupils being taught.
• The inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work, heard pupils read and spoke to pupils about their enjoyment of school and their opinions of behaviour and safety.
• The inspectors held discussions with staff, governors and the chief executive officer of the academy chain.
• A wide range of school documents was taken into account as part of the evidence, including: the school’s self-evaluation; its school development plan; behaviour and attendance records; governing body documents; and documents relating to the monitoring of teachers’ performance.
• Insufficient responses were added to Parent View to analyse, but parents’ written comments were considered by the inspection team as well as talking to parents before and after school.

Inspection team

Karen Heath, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Linda Clay Ofsted Inspector Chris Cook Ofsted Inspector