Holme Junior and Infant School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Strengthen leadership and governance by making sure that:
  • leaders and governors set high expectations for all pupils, especially the most able pupils and those who are disadvantaged
  • leaders and governors use the monitoring information they collect to pinpoint which aspects of teaching and pupils’ outcomes need to be improved
  • the school development plan is sharply focused on accelerating the progress pupils make, especially disadvantaged pupils and the most able pupils in key stage 2
  • the school’s systems for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress and attainment in reading, writing and mathematics give leaders a clear picture of how well all pupils are doing
  • leaders analyse records of behaviour incidents and incidents of bullying more systematically to identify what is working well and pinpoint any areas for further improvement
  • governors receive detailed reports and information about all aspects of the school’s performance
  • governors challenge leaders and, in doing so, hold them robustly to account for improving the quality of teaching and the progress all pupils make.
• Improve the progress pupils make, especially disadvantaged pupils and the most able pupils in Years 3 to 6, by making sure that:
  • teachers set work which challenges all pupils and helps them to use and apply their knowledge and skills to solve complex problems, especially in mathematics
  • teachers assess the standard of pupils’ writing accurately and use assessment information to plan learning activities which will develop and extend pupils’ confidence and skills in writing more quickly and effectively
  • teachers keep a close eye on whether pupils are finding the work they are set too easy
  • teachers give pupils feedback which helps them to take the next step in their learning more confidently. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of the school’s use of pupil premium funding 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 quality of education at Holme Junior and Infant School has declined since the last inspection. Recently, however, the governing body, with support from the local authority, has acted decisively to strengthen the school’s senior leadership. As a result, leaders and governors are better placed to tackle the areas of the school’s work which now require improvement.
• The school’s summary self-evaluation and development plan do not provide a strong starting point for securing better outcomes for pupils. The summary self-evaluation does not give a clear enough view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and the development plan does not focus sharply enough on the aspects of teaching, learning and assessment which need further work.
• The interim headteacher and assistant headteacher have quickly grasped what needs to be done to improve teaching and outcomes for pupils. Together, they have secured the strong support of parents and carers, who can already see a renewed drive for improvement. It is too early, however, to see the impact of this work on the quality of education and pupils’ learning and progress.
• Over time, leaders have not kept a close enough eye on the quality of teaching or the progress pupils make. As a result, weaknesses in the teaching and assessment of writing and inconsistencies in the quality of teaching in Years 3 to 6 have not been tackled effectively. Consequently, outcomes for pupils, especially the most able pupils, are too variable and require improvement.
• Leaders and governors have not made effective enough use of the pupil premium to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Aspirations for disadvantaged pupils have not been high enough because leaders have not expected them to do as well as other pupils nationally.
• In contrast, the school sports premium is used well to increase participation in physical education (PE) and sport and raise standards. Unequivocally, pupils enjoy PE and sport and greatly value the opportunities they have to take part in the wide range of activities and inter-school competitions.
• The school’s broad curriculum builds on pupils’ interests and, importantly, includes a rich range of opportunities to learn about the world beyond their school. The curriculum is enhanced by lunchtime and after-school clubs and regular educational visits, for example to a Sikh temple, the Museum of Science and Industry, and Jodrell Bank Observatory. Years 5 and 6 pupils attend a weekly French lesson at a partner school and the most able pupils join ‘master classes’ at a local secondary school.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is effectively promoted. Pupils’ cultural development is strongly supported through their enthusiastic participation in a wide range of artistic, musical, sporting and cultural activities. Pupils understand the difference between right and wrong and willingly take responsibility for their behaviour and actions. They have a developing understanding of people with different faiths and from different backgrounds. Pupils are developing the values they need to be responsible citizens in modern Britain.

Governance

• Aspects of the school’s governance need improvement.
• Governors do not have a clear enough view of how well pupils are doing and the areas of the school’s work which need further work.
• Governors have not demanded the detailed information they need to be knowledgeable about the school’s effectiveness.
• Consequently, governors have not challenged the school’s leaders or held them to account for improving the quality of education and outcomes for pupils with the required robustness.
• Governors have not ensured that all the school’s policies are up to date or that the school meets the Department for Education’s requirements on the publication of information.
• Governors, with support from the local authority, acted quickly and decisively to strengthen the school’s leadership at the end of the last academic year. Records from the school improvement partner’s visits during 2015 and 2016 indicate that weaknesses in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and the standard of pupils’ writing were identified and reported to the school. Similarly, inaccuracies in the school’s assessments of writing were identified through the moderation of pupils’ work and reported to the school. There is no evidence that these concerns were acted on prior to the appointment of the interim headteacher.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a strong and embedded culture of promoting pupils’ safety and welfare. Pupils say that they feel safe at school and, importantly, that they are learning about how to keep healthy and stay safe. Adults know pupils and their families well and records show that timely action is taken when there are concerns about a pupil’s safety or welfare. Importantly, leaders work proactively to provide the help and support that pupils and their families need.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is too variable and, as a result, pupils do not make consistently strong progress from their different starting points, especially in Years 3 to 6.
• Sometimes, teachers set work which interests, motivates and challenges pupils. In Years 1 and 2, for example, pupils increase their confidence and fluency in addition and subtraction because the work is carefully matched to their different levels of ability. Too often, however, learning activities are too easy, especially for the most able pupils.
• Teachers do not always challenge pupils, especially the most able pupils, to use and apply what they are learning. In a key stage 2 mathematics lesson, pupils relish the opportunity to tackle a tricky mathematics problem and do so successfully and with great enthusiasm. Crucially, however, there are too few opportunities for pupils to use their knowledge and skills to solve complex problems.
• At times, teachers explain ideas well and question pupils skilfully. As a result, pupils quickly grasp new concepts and develop their knowledge, confidence and skills. This is not, however, consistently the case. Too often, pupils are not challenged to think deeply or give an extended response when questioned. This limits their learning and progress.
• The feedback pupils receive from teachers does not always help them to identify what they are doing well and how to improve the standard of their work. Sometimes, errors and misconceptions in pupils’ work are missed and teachers do not always spot when pupils are ready to move onto a more challenging task.
• Teachers do not have a clear enough view of the age-expected standards for writing in Years 3 to 6. As a result, the assessments of key stage 2 pupils’ writing are inaccurate. Writing is not taught consistently well and, as a consequence, rates of progress in key stage 2 are too variable.
• The teaching of phonics in the early years and key stage 1 is effective. As a result, pupils make fast progress and achieve, or exceed, the standards expected for their age. Lower-attaining pupils enjoy reading and use their phonics knowledge well to read unfamiliar words. The most able pupils read confidently, fluently and with a developing understanding of what they are reading.
• Pupils say that teachers make learning ‘interesting and fun’ and encourage them to learn from the ‘marvellous mistakes’ they make in their work. Pupils say that this is helping them to learn how to be better and more resilient learners.

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 confident and self-assured. They work hard, apply themselves well and persevere with tasks, even when they find them difficult.
• Pupils’ positive attitudes to learning can be seen in their enthusiastic responses to teachers’ questions and their confidence in articulating their thoughts and ideas. The work in key stage 2 pupils’ books and folders shows less positive attitudes to writing and, occasionally, pupils lose interest and ‘switch off’ in lessons when the work set is too easy or uninteresting.
• Pupils say that they feel safe. They trust the adults who care for them but value the school’s strong emphasis on ‘taking responsibility for your own actions’. Pupils are knowledgeable about how to stay safe, for example when using computers and the internet, and have a sophisticated understanding of how to keep healthy.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils conduct themselves well throughout the school day with minimal direction from adults. Pupils understand the importance of being tolerant and showing respect for other people because this aspect of their learning and development is promoted well by teachers, for example in assemblies and through visits to places of worship.
• Levels of attendance have improved since the school’s last inspection and are high when compared with the national average for primary schools.
• There are few incidents of disruptive or challenging behaviour and records show that bullying is rare. Although these incidents and the school’s actions are recorded clearly and in sufficient detail, leaders do not always analyse these records to identify what is working and what could be done to further improve pupils’ behaviour.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• From their different starting points, too few pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics, especially in Years 3 to 6. The most able pupils and those who are disadvantaged do not make fast enough progress in Years 3 to 6 from their above-average starting points at the end of Year 2. As a result, too few key stage 2 pupils are working at greater depth in reading, writing or mathematics.
• In 2016, too few pupils in Years 3 to 6 achieved the expected standard in writing. The work in pupils’ books shows that the standard of writing is low when compared with age-related expectations for pupils in key stage 2. Historically, teachers’ assessments of the standard of pupils’ writing have not been accurate.
• Between 2014 and 2016, all Year 1 pupils achieved the expected standard in phonics. In 2016, Year 2 pupils made progress which was broadly in line with the national averages for reading and writing, and above the national average for mathematics. All Year 2 pupils achieved the expected standard in mathematics and science.
• In 2015, pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics in Years 2 and 6 were above the national averages. Although most Year 6 pupils made the progress expected in reading, writing and mathematics from their starting points at the end of key stage 1, too few pupils made faster progress and achieved a higher standard by the end of key stage 2.
• Pupils develop their knowledge and skills across a wide range of other subjects, including visual and expressive arts, music, modern foreign languages and PE.

Early years provision Good

• Children make strong progress from starting points which are close to the age-expected levels. In 2014 and 2015, all children achieved a good level of development and some were working at greater depth by the end of the Reception Year. This prepared them well for the challenges of Years 1 and 2.
• The early years provision is well led and managed. Leaders make sure that children’s interests, needs and starting points are identified and assessed accurately through close and effective work with parents and carers and local pre-school settings. As a result, children quickly ‘find their feet’ and learn well.
• The early years curriculum includes a broad range of carefully planned learning opportunities. Children’s development is assessed well and tracked carefully and systematically. As a result, teaching builds on children’s interests and is sharply focused on their next steps in learning. This leads to good progress.
• Children’s personal development, behaviour and welfare are effectively promoted in the early years. Children are confident and independent and they develop the skills they need to learn and play cooperatively.
• Parents and carers value the close relationship between home and school, and say that they are actively encouraged to support their children’s learning and development. One parent said that the school had gone ‘above and beyond to give her daughter the best possible start to school’.

School details

Unique reference number 107659 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 10019334 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 29 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair James Bailey Interim headteacher Christine Kirton Telephone number 01484 222 477 Website www.holmejischool.co.uk Email address office.holme@edukirklees.net Date of previous inspection 17–18 November 2011

Information about this school

• Holme Junior and Infant is a much smaller than average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is much lower than the national average.
• Most pupils are from White British backgrounds and very few speak English as an additional language.
• Currently, no pupils need support for special educational needs and/or disabilities and no pupils have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan.
• In 2015, the school met the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about key stage 2 results, the school’s strategy for the use of the pupil premium, and the structure and responsibilities of the governing body and committees on its website.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed teaching and learning on both days, spoke to pupils and examined the work in their books and folders. Two lessons were visited jointly with the interim headteacher.
• Meetings were held with pupils, senior leaders, two governors, including the chair of the governing body, and a representative from the local authority.
• The inspector considered 12 responses recorded on Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including nine written responses, and spoke to parents informally at the start of the school day.
• The inspector took account of six responses to the online staff questionnaire and examined documents relating to governance, school development planning, self-evaluation, pupils’ progress, attendance, behaviour, the curriculum and safeguarding.

Inspection team

Nick Whittaker, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector