Hyrstmount Junior School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching so that it is at least good throughout the school so that all groups of pupils make good progress, by:
  • ensuring that teachers having high expectations of what pupils can achieve
  • improving the teaching of reading so that pupils have a deeper understanding of what they have read
  • planning work in mathematics that is sufficiently challenging for all pupils and especially for those pupils who are most-able
  • ensuring that pupils use correct grammar and punctuation in their written work.
• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management, by:
  • equipping subject leaders with the skills needed to monitor their areas of responsibility effectively
  • reviewing the effect of strategies to reduce the differences in achievement between disadvantaged pupils in the school and other pupils nationally
  • ensuring that leaders’ systems for monitoring teaching and learning are accurate so that underperformance is addressed swiftly. 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

• Leadership and management require improvement because leaders’ actions have not secured teaching, learning and assessment that are consistently good. Teaching over time has not been good enough to ensure that pupils make good progress from their starting points, particularly in reading, mathematics and English grammar, punctuation and spelling.
• Leaders have an overgenerous view of the school’s performance. Systems are in place to monitor the quality of teaching and its impact on learning but weaknesses remain. Too often, shortcomings in teaching and learning have not been addressed sufficiently.
• Subject leaders have only recently taken up their roles and as such have yet to develop clear strategies to tackle underperformance in teaching and pupils’ outcomes. They are keen to make much-needed improvements for their areas of responsibility.
• Teachers have access to professional development opportunities which have contributed to developments in teaching and learning. However, this has not yet secured good outcomes for pupils.
• Leaders acknowledge that plans and funding for disadvantaged pupils have not had a positive enough impact on pupils’ attainment and progress. Disadvantaged pupils continue to make considerably less progress than other pupils nationally.
• Leaders ensure that pupils have access to a broad and rich curriculum. Pupils develop good skills and knowledge in subjects other than English and mathematics, and the quality of the work they produce is often at a good standard. Pupils’ work in art is particularly impressive.
• The headteacher has worked hard at raising the profile of the school and has developed strong links with the local community. This he has done successfully by creating a friendly and inclusive environment where all cultures are welcomed and celebrated. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is supported effectively, and pupils understand what it means to be a good citizen within modern British society.
• Provision for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities is led and managed well. Leaders ensure that additional funding is used effectively to meet the needs of individual pupils.
• As a result of the additional funding through the physical education and sports premium, more pupils have access to a range of extra-curricular sporting activities and are leading healthier lifestyles.

Governance of the school

• Governors are passionate and ambitious for the future of the school and for each pupil. However, over time governors have not held school leaders to account well enough and their attention has not been sufficiently focused on the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils.
• Governors are quite rightly proud of how leaders have developed strong community links and parental support for the school. However, they recognise that pupils are not making the progress of which they are capable. Governors are keen to increase their knowledge and understanding in order to become more effective in their roles.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The school’s designated safeguarding leaders carry out their roles efficiently. They know what to do when staff raise child protection concerns, and appropriate action is taken in a timely manner. The school’s electronic system for recording concerns allows staff to alert leaders quickly and provides leaders with a clear chronology of incidents linked to any particular child or family. All staff have undertaken appropriate online or face-to-face training to enable them to spot signs of different forms of abuse. Arrangements for recruiting staff and making appropriate checks are organised and thorough.
• There are effective partnerships with external agencies and leaders work closely with families and the local community. Pupils’ extended absences from school are monitored closely by leaders to ensure that pupils are safe and free from harm.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching is not yet good in every class. Teaching is much stronger in some classes than in others. Some teachers have high expectations of what pupils will learn, but this is not consistent in all classes.
• Teachers do not routinely check pupils’ learning during lessons. This results in pupils of different abilities sometimes completing work which has little value because it is too easy. This is often the case in different subjects, but especially in mathematics, and in particular for the most able pupils.
• The quality of the teaching of writing is variable across the school. In some classes pupils consistently use interesting vocabulary and a range of grammar and punctuation techniques to enliven their writing. However, in some classes pupils’ writing is often grammatically incorrect and they do not routinely use basic punctuation properly.
• Leaders have raised the profile of reading and reviewed the way reading is taught. There has been a significant investment in books and resources to engage pupils, and each classroom has a dedicated reading area. However, these changes are recent and have yet to impact on standards.
• Work across other areas of the curriculum shows a commitment to providing pupils with a range of engaging learning opportunities. For example, the outdoor learning area supports pupils’ work in science and develops strong collaboration and communication skills.
• Teaching assistants work effectively with small groups of pupils across a range of subjects. They are particularly successful in helping pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and pupils who are new to English. Leaders ensure that teaching assistants receive effective training to help them achieve this.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils feel safe at Hyrstmount. They feel well supported by staff and know that they can talk to an adult if they are worried about something. Overwhelmingly, parents agree that their children are safe and well cared for at school.
• Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations, such as when using the internet. They are well informed on road safety.
• Pupils have a good sense of personal and social responsibility. They are keen to take on responsibilities, such as house captains, buddy readers and classroom monitors.
• Pupils are taught to value and celebrate the similarities and differences they have with others. The school’s curriculum and ethos are equipping pupils with the knowledge and understanding necessary to accept and respect others.
• The school offers a range of opportunities for pupils to participate in a number of after-school sports clubs, such as netball, rugby and martial arts. The breakfast club provides a healthy meal each morning for any pupil who wishes to attend.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. In lessons, in the dining hall, during assemblies and on the playground pupils are well-behaved and sensible.
• Pupils are polite and well-mannered towards each other and to adults. Pupils are confident in engaging in discussions with visitors and are eager to share their positive views about the school.
• Leaders work closely with parents and pupils to reinforce the importance of good attendance. This is especially the case for those pupils who go on extended leave with their families. As a result, overall attendance has been sustained in line with the national average.
• Adults have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Disruption to learning in lessons is rare. Occasionally, however, some pupils can lose interest in what they are doing and become a little restless.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Over time, weak teaching has resulted in too few pupils making the progress and attaining the standards expected of them at the end of key stage 2, especially in reading, mathematics and English grammar, punctuation and spelling. Consequently, a good proportion of pupils are not sufficiently prepared for the next stage of their education.
• Pupils currently in the school make steady progress in reading and mathematics, but do not make the accelerated progress they need to catch up. This is because pupils are not consistently challenged to achieve higher standards and deepen their understanding during lessons. This is especially the case in mathematics, where pupils of different abilities, and in particular the most able, are completing work that is too easy.
• Pupils enjoy reading and recent changes to how it is taught are providing them with good opportunities to read widely and often. However, leaders know that further work is to be done to raise outcomes for all groups of pupils. Inspectors found that most pupils read fluently but do not develop a deep understanding of the texts they have read.
• Historically, outcomes in writing have been higher than in other subjects, although attainment remains below the national average. Evidence in current pupils’ books supports this. However, standards in grammar, punctuation and spelling remain low, which is restricting the progress pupils make in writing.
• Over time, disadvantaged pupils have not made good progress in reading and mathematics. Despite showing a slight improvement in attainment in 2017, the differences between these pupils and other pupils nationally are not diminishing rapidly enough. Furthermore the progress that disadvantaged pupils made in 2017 declined further, when compared to the national average.
• Work in pupils’ books and examples of pupils’ work around the school show that standards in subjects other than English and mathematics are generally good. Subjects such as art, history, geography and design and technology are taught in sufficient depth, which is helping pupils develop good skills and understanding in these subjects.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 107682 Kirklees 10045354 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Junior School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 7 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 355 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Karen Barraclough Matthew Leach 01924 326700 www.hyrstmountjuniors.org.uk head.hyrstmount@kirkleeseducation.uk Date of previous inspection 5–6 December 2012

Information about this school

• The school is larger than an average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language and the proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is much higher than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, who are known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium funding, is slightly above average.
• The school meets the government’s current 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 provides a breakfast club each morning for pupils.
• Since the last inspection there have been several changes in leadership and teaching staff. The headteacher was not in his current post at the last inspection.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in all classes. Some lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher.
• A sample of pupils’ work from all classes was scrutinised.
• Inspectors listened to a selection of pupils read from all year groups.
• Meetings were held with pupils, the headteacher, other staff, four members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.
• Inspectors observed pupils moving around the school, including on the playgrounds, during breaks, in the dining hall and during an assembly.
• Inspectors scrutinised a number of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, school improvement plans, attendance records and safeguarding information.
• Inspectors took account of the 16 free-text opinions from parents and the 15 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.
• Inspectors spoke informally with parents at the start of the school day.

Inspection team

Alan Chaffey, lead inspector Mary Lanovy-Taylor Chris Cook

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector