Cross Lane Primary and Nursery School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further improve the quality of teaching in order to:
  • accelerate pupils’ attainment and progress, especially for disadvantaged pupils, so that all groups reach standards that are at least in line with the national averages
  • ensure that there is sufficient challenge in lessons so that more pupils, especially the most able, reach the higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Further improve the quality of leadership and management by continuing to develop the role of middle leaders so that pupils are given more opportunities to deepen their knowledge and skills across the wider curriculum, especially in science, history and geography.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher has led the school through a raft of improvements since the last inspection. Attainment and progress are improving rapidly towards good because of the uncompromising action that was taken by her to address weak teaching throughout the school.
• Leaders’ high expectations have resulted in the overall effectiveness of the school improving so that it is now good.
• Pupils, parents and staff recognise that the school has improved over the last two years. One parent said that since the headteacher’s appointment, the school has changed in many ways for the better. On Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, the very large majority of parent responses were positive, with almost all parents recommending the school to others. All staff that responded to the staff questionnaire felt that the school had improved since the last inspection.
• The headteacher, supported by her knowledgeable deputy headteacher and other school leaders, has addressed the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection. Teachers now use their accurate assessments of pupils’ work to plan appropriately challenging work for most pupils. Pupils’ progress is rigorously monitored and any underachievement is quickly addressed through the school’s ‘rapid progress’ intervention and support. This includes the identification of disadvantaged pupils for targeted support from their teachers and teaching assistants so they make faster progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Leaders and governors have an accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses in the school and what still needs to be done to improve further. School plans set priorities that are tackled systematically and are resulting in good teaching, and good personal development, behaviour and welfare and improving pupils’ outcomes.
• Systems for managing the performance of staff are well organised. These systems ensure that teachers are held to account for making sure that pupils make good and better progress. As well as considering pupil progress information, leaders observe lessons and accurately identify strengths and where improvements can be made. A programme of staff training and coaching continually supports improvements in the teaching of both inexperienced and experienced teachers.
• The English leader’s literacy clinics support individual teachers’ planning for the teaching of reading and writing. This work has been particularly effective in accelerating progress towards higher standards of attainment in writing. Whole-school approaches to the teaching of reading and mathematics are also having an impact on accelerating pupils’ progress towards higher standards in these subjects.
• Curriculum teams have been created to drive improvements in literacy, mathematics and the curriculum. This enables all teachers, including those who are less experienced, to have an active role in monitoring and evaluating the impact of the initiatives that have been implemented in their subject area. This has also enabled all teachers to take responsibility for curriculum improvement and to develop their leadership skills alongside experienced leaders.
• Overall, the pupil premium is used effectively. However, further work needs to be done to decrease the differences between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and that of other pupils.
• The experienced leader responsible for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities makes sure that the funding for them is used effectively to ensure that they receive good support for their learning and welfare needs. They track the progress of this group of pupils, make any necessary adjustments to the interventions that support them, and liaise with any external agencies. As a result, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make at least similarly good progress as other pupils in school.
• The primary school physical education (PE) and sport funding is used well. A specialist sports coach is developing teaching skills while at the same time enhancing the quality of the sport and PE curriculum. There is an increase in pupil participation in sports clubs, which in turn has increased the school’s participation in competitive sports with neighbouring schools.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, including an appreciation of British values, is at the core of the school’s aims and promoted very effectively through the wider curriculum. Pupils are taught about democracy using elections for school councillors and they understand the concepts of respect and tolerance through visits to different places of worship. For example, in lower key stage 2, pupils explore which faiths make up the community and how they can ensure that everyone ‘belongs’.
• The curriculum is enhanced by a range of activities beyond the classroom, including through visiting artists, visits to the zoo, a residential trip to Scarborough and woodland learning. The latter is an integral part of the school curriculum to which all pupils have access, from early years through to Year 6. Pupils and parents talk positively about the woodland learning experiences that develop pupils’ personal attributes such as independence, problem-solving skills and self-esteem through practical woodland activities.
• Subject leaders have ensured that the curriculum plans provide breadth across a full range of subjects which pupils cover over a two-year cycle. Work in pupils’ topic books shows that writing and some mathematical skills are practised in other subjects such as history and science. There are some examples of individual pupils being encouraged to study at greater depth, for example in science, because they show a talent in this subject area. However, opportunities for all pupils to study at greater depth are not routinely planned for.
• The local authority provides the school with good support. It has an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for further improvement. School leaders have established links with external agencies to provide bespoke professional development and training to continue to improve the quality of the school’s work.

Governance of the school

• Governance is effective. Governors make a good contribution to the leadership of the school.
• Following the last inspection, governors took prompt and concerted action to address the areas identified for further improvement. They commissioned a pupil premium review and challenged the newly appointed headteacher to implement the recommendations with a degree of urgency. They supported the headteacher in her first year at the school to address weaker teaching and to recruit stronger teachers to the staff team.
• Governors scrutinise the use of the pupil premium funding. This funding is allocated to some whole-school strategies and to specific support for disadvantaged pupils so that they make good progress towards the expected levels of attainment.
• Governors are well informed because they are provided with high-quality, detailed information by the headteacher. The governing body holds the senior leaders to account and challenges the headteacher over the school’s performance.
• Governors understand that pupil achievement is the focus for school improvement and that good teaching is the key to raising standards. They visit the school and engage with leaders in monitoring teaching and learning, and as a result, have a clear understanding about the quality of teaching across the school.
• Governors are fully conversant with their statutory duties for safeguarding and ensure that staff are recruited with careful consideration.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Safeguarding records are of a high quality and exhibit the school’s commitment to keeping children safe, particularly the most vulnerable. Leaders take swift and appropriate action when necessary and refer to, and communicate with, outside agencies, and follow up any concerns rigorously.
• Leaders have created a school culture in which all staff have a focus on safeguarding children. Staff are well trained, knowledgeable and vigilant about safeguarding matters.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved substantially since the last inspection. As a result, current pupils are making good progress, and attainment is improving towards the expected standards.
• Leaders have provided very effective training and coaching for all teachers and teaching assistants to ensure that teaching is good overall.
• Teachers have high expectations of pupils and generally work set is well matched to pupils’ abilities. However, occasionally, the degree of challenge in lessons does not provide opportunities for pupils to deepen their skills and understanding sufficiently for them to attain the higher standards.
• Assessment systems are much improved. Now assessment more effectively tracks pupils’ progress and identifies underachieving pupils. The school’s ‘rapid progress’ strategy ensures that pupils are given the support they need to address any gaps they have in their learning so that they catch up with their peers quickly.
• The teaching of phonics is effective. Pupils use their phonic knowledge to decode and spell words. As a result, the attainment of Year 1 pupils in the phonic screening check has improved to be close to the national average. By the end of Year 2, almost all pupils achieve the nationally expected phonic standard.
• Improving standards in reading and writing is a priority for leaders. Teachers choose texts that engage pupils and they plan work that develops pupils’ English skills. This is developing pupils’ vocabulary and enabling them to use the texts as models for their own writing. For example, in Years 5 and 6, Alfred Noyes’ ‘The Highwayman’ was used to analyse the characteristics of a good character description. Similarly, in Years 3 and 4, the book ‘George’s Marvellous Medicine’ provided a stimulus for pupils to create written instructions to make their own ‘marvellous medicine’.
• Pupils read regularly in school and are encouraged to read at home. Online reading challenges and the school library provide stimulating texts that enthuse pupils to read for pleasure.
• The school has introduced handwriting and spelling procedures that are helping to improve pupils’ writing. These are having an impact on the good progress in writing that can be seen in pupils’ books. Good teaching of writing skills has contributed to the improved outcomes in writing in 2017.
• The teaching of mathematics is good. Teachers use a range of strategies that ensure that pupils apply their understanding of mathematical concepts to solve problems. Pupils can explain their reasoning and are, therefore, achieving the higher standards in mathematics.
• Teachers regularly mark pupils’ books in accordance with the school’s policy. All pupils understand the marking codes and use the information to improve their work.
• Pupils have opportunities to self-evaluate their own work and that of their peers. They are encouraged to offer support to each other. While this enables pupils to embed their understanding by explaining it to others, in some cases pupils are giving the answers rather than offering support.
• Teaching assistants make a very good contribution to learning. They are responsive to pupils’ needs during lessons and inform and support the ‘rapid progress’ interventions to address any misconceptions in learning.
• Across the broader curriculum, teachers plan interesting topics that engage pupils well. Pupils are excited to learn and find lessons interesting and fun. They are able to apply their reading, writing and mathematical skills in different subjects such as history, geography and science. However, opportunities are limited for pupils to deepen their subject-specific skills across the wider curriculum.
• Teachers are aware of the disadvantaged pupils in their classes. Their individual progress is tracked alongside that of other pupils, with support and intervention put in place to address any underachievement. However, the progress this group currently makes is not fast enough to fully close the gap between their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics and that of other pupils in school and nationally.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are met and greeted each day to welcome them to school and affirm the school’s expectation that they be punctual. Absence rates are in line with the national average and the proportion of persistent absenteeism has fallen substantially over the last year. The absence rates and levels of persistent absenteeism of disadvantaged pupils have also improved.
• Pupils’ welfare and safety are a priority for the school. The school inclusion team ensures that pupils’ mental health and well-being are supported in the school’s nurture provision. The school liaises closely with other external agencies when it identifies any pupils or families that might be at risk of harm or radicalisation.
• Pupils say that they feel safe in school. They have regular reminders of how to keep themselves safe on the internet, and as a result, they are aware of the risks and know what is meant by cyber bullying and what to do if they come across it.
• Pupils are proud of their school and all that it offers. Pupils who met with inspectors talked enthusiastically about their lessons and how teachers make them interesting and fun.
• The range of clubs, visits and woodland activities that pupils enjoy makes a positive contribution to supporting their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
• Pupils have a good understanding of healthy lifestyles through PE lessons. In addition, the breakfast and after-school club offers a range of activities and sports clubs that pupils can participate in.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons is good. Pupils move around the school in a calm and orderly way. Pupils are polite and courteous and speak respectfully to staff, visitors and each other.
• Pupils conduct themselves well during break- and lunchtimes. There are good routines at the end of playtimes so that pupils re-enter the school in an orderly manner, chanting multiplication tables and practising hand and arm exercises to be ready for handwriting.
• Pupils say that any instances of bullying are rare and are dealt with quickly by staff.
• Attitudes to learning are good. Pupils listen attentively and concentrate on their work. Most books are presented well and pupils take pride in their work. There is little disruption to learning and pupils work cooperatively with each other.
• Overall, parents’ and pupils’ responses to school questionnaires and to the Ofsted online questionnaires indicate that the school is a safe and caring environment.
• Pupils’ good attitudes to learning are beginning to have an impact on their progress.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Since the last inspection, senior leaders have focused their efforts on improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. As a result, current pupils are making stronger progress in reading, writing and mathematics in key stages 1 and 2.
• At the end of key stage 2 in 2016 and 2017, the school’s outcomes reflect the impact on pupils’ progress of some weaker teaching prior to 2015. By the end of key stage 2 in 2016, pupils’ attainment was below national average figures in reading, writing and mathematics.
• While attainment remains below the national average figures, in 2017, pupils’ outcomes show that there have been significant increases in the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in all subjects. However, the proportion of pupils achieving the higher standards remains below the national average.
• The amount of progress pupils now make in key stage 2 reflects this improvement in standards reached, particularly in writing and mathematics. Even so, the progress pupils make in reading and writing is still significantly below the national average.
• Through the year 2016 to 2017, 11 pupils entered Year 2. Some of these pupils spoke English as an additional language and were new to the country. In key stage 1, pupils made good progress throughout the year, with an increasing proportion achieving the expected standards in reading, mathematics and particularly writing in 2017.
• While the number of pupils achieving the expected standard remains below the national average, more pupils achieved knowledge at greater depth in 2017 in all subjects with the greatest increase in writing. Consequently, the number of pupils achieving this higher standard is now close to the national average.
• Leaders have reviewed the allocation of funding to support disadvantaged pupils’ achievement following a pupil premium review commissioned by the school after the last inspection. Indications are that this is contributing to improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.
• The attainment of disadvantaged pupils remains below the national average. However, they are making good progress and catching up quickly with other pupils in school and nationally. In 2017, a greater proportion of disadvantaged pupils achieved the expected and higher standards in all subjects, particularly writing and mathematics, by the end of key stage 2.
• The work of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities indicates that they make at least the same good progress as other pupils with similar starting points in all subjects because of the additional support and targeted intervention they receive.
• The school has established a ‘rapid progress’ strategy. Pupils are targeted for sessions of additional support on specific aspects of their learning. The fortnightly reviews of the impact of this intervention inform adjustments to the frequency of this support. This is accelerating the progress of all targeted pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs.

Early years provision Good

• The quality of early years education has improved since the last inspection and is now good.
• The good leadership of the early years leader and the work of the teaching team ensure that children now make a good start to their education.
• Most children enter Nursery with skills below those typical for their age, particularly in communication and language. Children make good progress so that by the end of early years, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development has risen and is now broadly in line with the national average.
• The early years leader has ensured that there is an accurate assessment of children’s skills and understanding. Effective systems are in place to capture observations of children’s learning and progress.
• Information from assessments is used well to plan a range of well-organised and resourced activities that meet the needs of all children. This is because the early years staff are knowledgeable about how young children learn.
• The learning environment, both indoors and outside, is attractive, with many opportunities to develop children’s communication and language, and reading and writing skills and to explore mathematics. The early years team has plans to further develop early reading and writing opportunities indoors and outside.
• A range of other opportunities stimulates children’s curiosity and extends children’s real-life experiences. For example, in the woodland area, children enjoy learning from the natural environment, including going on a ‘bear hunt’ and having a ‘teddy bears’ picnic’.
• Relationships between adults and children are strong and caring. Children’s behaviour is good because adults have clear expectations of this and have established routines that children understand. Children cooperate well with each other by taking turns, sharing and working in small groups.
• All the appropriate welfare and safeguarding requirements are met in the early years setting.
• Links with parents are good and parents are very positive about early years and the experiences their children have. Parents contribute to children’s initial assessments and regularly attend ‘stay and play’ sessions and social events.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 107533 Calderdale 10036577 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 310 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Joanne Beardwell Vivien Watson 01422 372614 www.crosslaneprimary.co.uk head@crosslane.calderdale.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 24–25 March 2015

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Cross Lane Primary and Nursery School is an average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported through the pupil premium is just above average.
• The large majority of pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is just above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils whose first language is not believed to be English is just above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is just below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is just above the national average.
• Children attend the Nursery part time. There are some places allocated in the Nursery for children to attend for 30 hours.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed 12 lessons across all years. Three of these lessons were conducted jointly with an inspector and the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. Observations were made of the breakfast club and after-school care.
• Inspectors looked at a range of pupils’ work either in lessons or as a separate activity with subject leaders and senior leaders.
• Meetings took place with the headteacher, senior leaders and subject leaders, a group of staff and groups of pupils. The lead inspector met with four representatives of the governing body and with a representative of the local authority. An inspector also spoke with parents at the beginning of the school day. Inspectors listened to various children read.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktime and lunchtime.
• Inspectors also took into account the 28 parental responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, the eight parental text responses and the 31 responses from members of staff to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire. Pupil responses to the school’s pupil questionnaire were also taken into account.
• Inspectors looked at a variety of documentation, including the school’s own self-evaluation of its provision, and its school development plan. Inspectors also considered information relating to safeguarding, governance, the performance management of teachers, pupil achievement information, the curriculum, and behaviour and attendance.

Inspection team

Christine Turner, lead inspector Doreen Davenport Gillian Wiles Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector