Elland CofE Junior and Infant School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Strengthen leadership and management by:
  • ensuring that governors hold the school to account
  • implementing a clear action plan for rapid and sustained improvement of pupil achievement
  • developing the skills and expertise of subject leaders so they can take effective action to improve their areas of responsibility
  • evaluating the impact on pupils’ achievement when monitoring the quality of teaching and learning
  • adopting a rigorous performance management system.
• Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better to raise pupils’ attainment to at least the national average standards by:
  • accelerating the progress of pupils in reading, writing and mathematics
  • raising teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve
  • providing challenging work for the most able pupils
  • ensuring that pupils acquire a wider vocabulary by reading high-quality texts.
• Ensure that pupils reach higher standards in writing by ensuring that:
  • lessons build on the punctuation and grammar skills that pupils need to apply in their writing
  • there is a consistent approach to the teaching and correcting of pupils’ spelling
  • pupils’ written work is tidy and well presented
  • younger pupils form their letters correctly when hand writing. An external review of the use of the pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• The school has received considerable support and guidance from both the local authority and the diocese to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Despite this, improvements have been slow to take effect.
• The headteacher has an over-generous view of how well the school compares to others nationally. Initiatives to improve pupils’ achievement have lacked cohesion, and not always been implemented consistently across the school or effectively evaluated.
• The management of teacher performance has not been sufficiently rigorous. Rewards are not clearly linked to successes in pupil achievement. Professional development has not been sufficiently focused on developing teachers’ skills and expertise.
• The school development plan identifies the need to accelerate pupil progress and identifies numerous actions to achieve this by the year end. However, the school’s expectation for increasing rates of pupil progress is too slow to make up for the lack of good teaching over time. Leaders have not been successful in ensuring that pupils reach the government’s minimum standards of attainment at the end of key stage 2.
• Leaders have used a large proportion of the pupil premium funding to provide pastoral support for disadvantaged pupils. These pupils attend school regularly and enjoy opportunities for extra-curricular activities and school trips. The impact of additional learning support for disadvantaged pupils has varied according to the quality of teaching they receive, but overall this has had limited effect on improving these pupils’ academic achievement.
• New subject leaders are bringing a sense of energy to the school with ideas for improvement. A lack of experience means that their enthusiasm does not always result in effective action because they do not yet have a clear view of the impact of changes they have introduced to improve the quality of teaching.
• Recent changes in the teaching of mathematics are already making a difference to pupil achievement. Pupils are securely building on their basic understanding of number and applying their skills to problem-solving questions. However, pupils currently in Year 6 are still not on track to reach age-related expectations at the end of key stage 2 because they have too many gaps in their mathematical knowledge due to weak teaching in the past.
• Improvements in the teaching of phonics enable younger pupils to confidently read simple texts, using the sounds they have learned to decode unfamiliar words. By the time pupils reach the end of key stage 1, nearly all of them have achieved the phonics screening check.
• The spiritual and moral development of pupils is effectively promoted through assemblies and lessons. Visits to different places of worship in addition to Christian churches provide the pupils with a good appreciation of spirituality. Pupils’ understanding of different cultures is more limited.
• Pupils understand the fundamental British values of democracy and the rule of law in the context of the school. The school council reflects the democratic election of representatives, and pupils understand the need to follow the school rules and appreciate the consequences if they do not. Although mutual respect and tolerance are understood by pupils, they openly admit that this might not be reflected in their behaviour and attitudes towards people who might be different from themselves.
• The school’s curriculum provides enjoyment and enrichment. Work in books shows that pupils are experiencing a good range of subjects. They are effectively taught the necessary information and technological skills to be proficient in this area. The emphasis on outdoor learning provides urban pupils with an appreciation of the natural world and soundly develops their scientific understanding.
• The primary school sports funding is used well to improve the skills of teachers to deliver good-quality physical education lessons. The use of a sports coach to provide specialist support has raised the profile of sport and healthy lifestyles. Pupils benefit from participating in a range of competitive sports with other schools.
• The funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is used effectively to ensure that they receive good support for their welfare needs and academic learning. Leaders with responsibility for managing their provision track the progress that these pupils make. Individual support plans ensure that these pupils make good progress and their needs are well met.

Governance of the school

• A recently appointed chair of governors and vice chair bring to the governing body a sharp focus and commitment to addressing weaknesses. For too long, governors have been ineffective in holding leaders to account and ensuring that pupils achieve the standards they should.

• Governors have not been robust in setting challenging targets for performance management or awarding pay increases clearly linked to pupils’ achievement.
• A focus on spending the pupil premium funding on pastoral support has detracted from the effective use of this grant to make sure that these pupils make good academic progress, catch up to where they should be and achieve well.
• Governors are fully conversant with their statutory duties for safeguarding, ensuring that pupils are safe and staff are recruited with careful consideration.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The school has created a safe culture to take care of its pupils and is vigilant in checking that procedures are implemented to protect them. All staff understand their obligations for safeguarding, and this is emphasised throughout the school’s work, including in lessons.
• Pupils said that they feel safe and talked about what the school has in place to look after them. Most parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, agree that their child is safe in school. The school conducts a range of risk assessments to keep pupils and staff safe.
• All members of staff are checked for their suitability to work with children. Accurate and up-to-date records of these checks are maintained.
• Leaders, teachers and other staff are aware of the school’s procedures for safeguarding. They take appropriate action when necessary. They liaise with outside agencies when they have a concern and they work hard to support families in need.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teaching across the school is inconsistent. Too little is expected of pupils, and there is insufficient emphasis on making up lost ground. The school’s ‘expected progress’ benchmark is too low to ensure that pupils catch up and achieve at least in line with the national average.
• The most able pupils are not achieving as well as they should. Teaching is not providing them with the skills and knowledge to achieve higher standards. They are not given work which challenges them.
• There is some high-quality teaching in the school, but too often pupils are not engaged in clearly focused tasks designed to accelerate their progress. Time is wasted while pupils wait for adult intervention or support.
• Lessons in reading are not well planned for the older pupils. Pupils often choose books with simple text, and there is no obvious encouragement of them to be more ambitious in their choice. The quality of their book reviews, which are often a simple sentence in their reading diary, is of a low standard. There is no expectation that pupils should record a meaningful reflection of their choice of book or show an understanding of the author’s style or the genre.
• The school’s response to improving the teaching of writing has lacked cohesion. Teachers’ varied expectations of spelling, handwriting and presentation are reflected in pupils’ work, which is often untidy with messy crossings out. Lessons are not planned to provide a clear sequence of learning or to develop the skills of older pupils so they apply adventurous vocabulary or higher levels of punctuation and grammar in their writing.
• There is a whole-school approach to the teaching of handwriting, but not all staff adhere to it. Younger pupils sometimes form their letters incorrectly, and this is not always addressed. The books of older pupils show that many pupils do, however, develop their own legible style of handwriting.
• Improvements in the teaching of mathematics mean that most teaching in this subject is good and the pace of pupils’ progress is now accelerating. Pupils have good opportunities to apply their mathematical skills to problem-solving questions and show some good verbal reasoning for their solutions. The lag in achievement means that most-able pupils have still some way to catch up if they are to attain higher standards.
• The needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are well met through the deployment of teaching assistants. Provision is well organised, with specific programmes of learning mapped out and tracked to ensure that these pupils make good progress. Pupils who have social and emotional needs are effectively supported and managed by staff.
• The teaching of phonics is effective in ensuring that pupils have grasped basic sounds and the letters they represent. Pupils are moved on quickly to learn more complex letter combinations, and this means that most pupils make good progress. Some less-able pupils learn their phonics in smaller groups; this work is well structured and engages their interest and speeds up their progress.
• The teaching of subjects other than English and mathematics is effective. The younger pupils in key stage 2 can write simple sentences in French. Pupils of all ages are proficient in using information technology, and pupils have enjoyed a range of scientific topics and planned their own experiments, considering variable factors which could influence the results. Even so, pupils’ weaknesses in writing hinder them from being able to record explanations of their findings.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The school puts a great deal of emphasis on supporting the most vulnerable pupils and their families and understands their needs. Consequently, support is well matched and provided where necessary.
• Improving the attendance of pupils who are most at risk has been a high priority, and the school actively collects pupils and brings them to school for breakfast when necessary, providing a supportive place for them to be.
• Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations. Pupils understand how to manage risk. They understand the risks of using the internet and social media. Pupils told inspectors that they value the school’s ‘SOS’ room, where they can go for help if they are worried about something.
• Assemblies are used well to celebrate achievement and promote themes such as ‘Be kind’ week. ‘Value’ tickets are used to promote pupils’ good personal qualities and to reward them with a weekly prize.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Although the school has worked hard to promote tolerance, pupils were open in stating to inspectors that derogatory language would be used in relation to some pupils or their families who choose to lead different lifestyles from their own.
• Nearly all pupils who responded to the survey said that the school encourages them to be independent. In lessons, they do not always apply this skill to be effective learners. They often rely on adult intervention and lack the resilience to try for themselves, and this is reflected in their slow progress.
• Most pupils and parents feel that the school deals with bad behaviour and bullying, and most of the pupils in school behave well. Pupils conduct themselves well in and around school and they are polite and show good manners.
• Attendance and punctuality are a high priority in the school, and this has resulted in attendance rates being broadly in line with the national average.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Throughout the school, the rate of pupils’ progress in reading and writing is variable and reflects the inconsistencies in teaching.
• Improvements in the quality of teaching have resulted in raising standards in reading and mathematics at the end of key stage 1 compared with previous years. By the end of key stage 2, the progress that pupils make in mathematics is improving, but less so in reading. The progress that pupils make with their writing remains stubbornly slow.
• Attainment in writing at the end of both key stage 1 and key stage 2 has been in the bottom 20% of all schools for the last two years. This is because initiatives to improve the teaching of writing have lacked clarity and cohesion. The skills that pupils are taught to improve their spelling and punctuation are not consistently applied to their written work.
• In mathematics, pupils are making faster progress because the school’s approach to teaching mathematics is now systematic and well planned by teachers. Pupils are proficient in using and applying the basic mathematical skills. They confidently move from using apparatus to help them work things out to applying their understanding to new and more difficult problems unaided. Pupils are developing their reasoning skills and can give plausible explanations for their answers. However, there are still too few pupils achieving higher standards.
• The teaching of phonics is effective. Most pupils reach the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check. By the end of Year 2, standards are in line with the national average. Once pupils have secured their early reading skills to decode unfamiliar words, their progress in reading slows. Pupils said that they enjoy reading, but their understanding of unfamiliar words hampers their ability to understand more complex texts or to use adventurous vocabulary in their writing.
• Pupils enjoy the topics they learn and have good opportunities to apply their writing in subjects such as science, history and geography, but the standard of written work is low. The teaching of information technology engages pupils’ interest and develops their understanding of programming formulas so they are proficient in applying these skills.
• Disadvantaged pupils make similar slow progress to that of their peers. Leaders track how well these pupils are doing in English and mathematics and have provided additional teaching time, but this has not had sufficient impact to raise the achievement of this group of pupils.
• The achievement of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is good. Work is well planned to meet the needs of these pupils. Those who have specific learning difficulties benefit from specialised support and this, alongside good support from teaching assistants, ensures that they make good progress.

Early years provision Good

• Children enter the early years with skills and knowledge that are below those typical for their age. A high proportion of children enter the school with poor communication and language skills, and some have had little experience of books or opportunities for drawing and writing.
• The commitment of the staff and the provision of stimulating activities result in these young children’s high levels of engagement. Good relationships are soon established. Children get off to a good start in the Nursery. They quickly adapt to the routines and expectations of the early years.
• This good provision continues in the Reception class. Children are taught the basic reading and mathematical skills through focused lessons and play activities that support new learning. During the inspection, children who had been learning about three-dimensional shapes were busy outside building structures with large blocks to create a rocket with a cuboid and a pyramid.
• Good opportunities are provided for children to enjoy riding on bikes and trikes and promote their physical development. Access to a natural area means that pupils have space to run and climb, which they do with enthusiasm.
• Assessment and planning are used to focus learning on children’s next steps and enable them to pursue their own interests. Adult questioning and intervention are used well to further learning when children play independently or to direct them to a purposeful activity.
• The teaching of phonics is mostly effective. Children are keen to use their phonics to write labels and simple sentences. However, during lessons, not all staff model the school’s handwriting policy and, as a result, some children learn to form letters incorrectly.
• The number of children who achieve the expected outcomes at the end of the early years foundation stage is below the national average. Nevertheless, this still represents good progress from the children’s less-than-typical starting points. Many of the children reach a good level of development, but expectations of the most able children are too low and too few exceed the learning goals, particularly in writing.
• Children’s behaviour is good, both in the classroom and in the outside area, where activities are well supervised. They sustain interest and focus when participating in a task. Children learn to take on age-appropriate responsibility. For example, they are quick to tidy up and put things back in the right place.
• The school works hard to engage parents and provides useful workshops to give guidance and advice. All parents are encouraged to contribute to their children’s initial assessments and their homework books. ‘Wow cards’ are sent home so that parents and carers know what their children have achieved in school.
• Transition is effective, and staff establish links with home and liaise with children’s previous setting before they start school. The move into key stage 1 is well managed and children are soundly prepared for their next stage of education.
• Leaders ensure that the welfare and safety of children are given a high priority and that staff are skilled and responsive to children’s individual needs. They ensure that good links are fostered with external agencies and specialists to support children who have particular needs. The setting is a safe place for children, and all health and safety requirements are met.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 107550 Calderdale 10037704 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 Voluntary aided 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 203 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher George Richardson Wendy Holdsworth Telephone number 01422 373159 Website Email address www.elland.calderdale.sch.uk admin@elland.calderdale.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 31 October─ 1 November 2012

Information about this school

• This is a smaller than average-sized primary school.
• The Nursery is open for morning sessions.
• The school operates a breakfast club.
• The majority of pupils are White British and speak English as their first language.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is well above average.
• The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have SEN is above average.
• The school does not meet the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for 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.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited lessons in all classrooms and some together with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. In addition, inspectors observed small groups of pupils being taught.
• Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work, listened to some pupils read and spoke with some pupils about their enjoyment of school and their opinions of behaviour and safety. Inspectors considered the 55 responses to the pupil survey.
• Inspectors held discussions with staff and governors and took into account the responses from the staff survey.
• Inspectors considered a wide range of school documents. These included the school’s self-evaluation, the school’s development plan, behaviour and attendance records, governing body documents and documents relating to safeguarding and the monitoring of teachers’ performance.
• Inspectors talked to some parents to seek their views about the school. The views of the 12 parents who submitted responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, were also taken into account.

Inspection team

Karen Heath, lead inspector Richard Knowles

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector