Newsome Junior School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by:
  • refining assessment systems to track all pupils’ progress accurately from their starting points, so that any gaps in learning can be quickly identified and addressed
  • evaluating the progress that different groups of pupils are making, such as those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged, to check the impact of additional funding and adapt support accordingly
  • making sure that the school’s plans for improvement are more precise, with clearly identified outcomes, responsibilities and checking points.
• Improve the quality of teaching and learning by:
  • giving pupils of all abilities opportunities to extend their learning and develop their ideas, particularly in mathematics
  • making sure that there is greater consistency in teachers’ expectations of high-quality presentation and accuracy of spelling
  • ensuring that lower-ability pupils have the support and resources they need to help them make strong progress in writing.
• Improve pupils’ behaviour by:
  • reviewing the behaviour policy with the school community, to ensure that positive behaviours are expected and consistently promoted by all adults
  • eradicating low-level disruption and disengagement in lessons
  • improving the quality of support and engagement for pupils at lunchtimes to ensure that positive behaviours are encouraged and lunchtimes become a more successful and purposeful time of the day. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium 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

• Since the retirement of the long-term headteacher three years ago, there have been considerable changes in the school leadership and teaching team. While there is an ambition from the current team to improve, there are still major changes taking place, and the decline in standards has not been fully addressed.
• When the last substantive headteacher left in summer 2016, the governing body were unable to recruit a permanent leadership team. Leaders and staff working within the school stepped up to the roles of acting headteacher, deputy headteacher and senior leader as a temporary measure. The new leadership team have been committed to tackling the major improvements needed, building on from the previous decline in staff morale, pupils’ behaviour and standards. They have successfully made improvements in fundamental aspects of safeguarding. They have started to unpick the strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ behaviour and the reasons for these differences. However, they have not had the guidance necessary to help them improve outcomes in teaching and learning rapidly enough.
• Although inexperienced in leadership, the acting leadership team have good curriculum subject knowledge. They have accurately identified which aspects of teaching and learning most need improvement. However, the plans for directing this improvement are not sharp enough, or monitored frequently enough to secure stronger pupils’ outcomes.
• After a slow start, external support has been more forthcoming recently, to accurately assess the current position of the school and plan carefully for the further changes that are inevitable in September. The school learning partner has an accurate understanding of the school. Funding has now been secured by the local authority for a support package focused on improving leadership, teaching and learning. This is due to be implemented in September 2017. A local leader of education has recently started to work with the school and is gaining a secure understanding of the areas for improvement.
• Aspects of middle leadership are strong. For example, the mathematics leader has excellent subject knowledge and a clear understanding of the national expectations. She leads well by example, having high expectations of the pupils in her class, recognising gaps in their learning and quickly directing and adapting her teaching to address pupils’ needs. Her work across the school is having a positive impact on pupils’ fluency in mathematics. She has accurately identified that teachers need to have higher expectations of what all pupils can achieve.
• The leader with responsibility for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities has a clear view of the wide-ranging needs of these pupils. She has refined systems for identifying which pupils need specific support. She directs training for teachers and support staff well to support their understanding of pupils’ different needs. As a result, staff plan appropriate work to support pupils’ progress, academically, emotionally and socially. Much of the funding for these pupils is directed to provide additional teaching assistant time, so that pupils can successfully learn in small groups or one-to-one activities. These sessions are effective in moving pupils’ learning forward. The leader agrees that a more robust system for assessment will help leaders and staff have a clearer view of the progress that these pupils make over time.
• Leaders have assessed the potential barriers to learning that disadvantaged pupils may have and use the pupil premium funding to address these. Although they have checked the progress that pupils are making across the year, they agree that the current assessment systems do not support them in doing this effectively. Leaders have looked at pupils’ work to make some checks on teachers’ assessments, but agree that they need a more robust combination of evidence to be sure of the impact of directed work.
• Leaders’ work to improve writing has had a particularly positive impact in upper key stage 2. High-quality shared class texts are engaging older pupils in reading and writing activities and supporting their stronger progress this year.
• Leaders value partnerships with parents. They have put a number of activities in place that are encouraging parents to be involved in school life, as well as giving them opportunities to share and celebrate their children’s learning. These include coffee and cake sessions, school picnics and invitations to ‘extra special assemblies’.
• Leadership across areas of the curriculum other than English and mathematics is generally in its infancy. Learning in subjects such as science, history and geography takes place, but sporadically across school. However, direction and support in outdoor learning is strong. In addition, the primary school physical education and sport funding is used well to give pupils wide and frequent physical activity opportunities.

Governance of the school

• Governors have a clear view of the key issues facing the school: the difficulties in securing sustainable, high-quality leadership; a recent decline in standards; and perceptions of pupils’ poor behaviour. Being mindful of the previous low staff morale and the strong commitment of the very willing but inexperienced leadership team, they have prioritised steadying the ship and supporting the well-being of staff. However, they have not had a clear enough view, or a good enough understanding, of the progress that pupils and groups of pupils are making. They have not challenged leaders about the impact of their work. For example, although governors know what the pupil premium funding has been spent on, they do not know what impact it has had on the progress, emotionally and academically, these pupils have made. Similarly, they do not know if the funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities has helped them to make good progress from their starting points.
• Governors are working together with the local authority to think more creatively about the long-term leadership of the school. A consultation is currently taking place about a possible federation with the school’s feeder infant and nursery school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The acting headteacher rightly prioritised actions at the beginning of the academic year to ensure that the safety of pupils was paramount. These included training updates for staff, an overhaul of the systems for the checking of staff and a secure sign-in system for visitors to the site. Leaders, including the acting headteacher and the local leader for education working with the school, explain that careful consideration is being given to the assessment of the site security. The site is shared with the high school and aspects are open, without physical boundaries. Consultation with the local authority is underway. In the meantime, leaders have put a risk assessment and resulting measures in place to manage any potential risks.
• Policies and procedures for keeping pupils safe are in place and understood by all adults in school. Staff have received regular updates this year to make sure that they know exactly what to do if a concern in raised.
• There is a clear understanding of the new electronic system for recording concerns. Any incidents noted are followed up efficiently and effectively. There is successful communication with other agencies to ensure that pupils and their families receive appropriate support.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teachers, many who are new to teaching, have started to develop a clear understanding of the national expectations in English and mathematics. However, pupils’ progress over time is not consistently good in reading, writing or mathematics. There is not always enough opportunity for pupils to extend their ideas and learning, particularly those who are the most able.
• Teachers are clear about which of their pupils are disadvantaged and generally plan effectively for them in the classroom. They put in place additional activities and support when they spot that these pupils have not grasped a concept. Support staff follow these activities through well and give quick written and verbal feedback to the teacher about the progress made. Generally, short-term accelerated progress can be seen when these interventions take place. However, teachers agree that the school assessment systems do not take into account the pupils’ starting points. Pupils are not making rapid enough progress to catch up with other pupils nationally.
• In mathematics, a whole-school focus to develop speed and efficiency in number work is having a positive impact on the progress that pupils are making. However, activities in lower key stage 2 often do not allow pupils the opportunity to explore and develop their ideas using the mathematical skills they have gained.
• Pupils in upper key stage 2 are eager to talk about the exciting class texts they are reading and the direction these give to their written work. Pupils have opportunities to write in a wide range of styles in activities they are clearly enjoying. Their tasks are purposeful and engaging and consequently older pupils are making more rapid progress than in recent years. In lower key stage 2, this work is not fully embedded. Expectations of what pupils can achieve are not always as high, for example in the presentation of their work and the application of the spellings they have learned. Sometimes the lower-ability pupils do not receive enough support and direction to enable them to successfully complete tasks.
• Work across the curriculum is developing. Some aspects are stronger, such as the opportunities through practical activities in physical education and music. For example, a group of Year 6 pupils were improving their football skills alongside developing qualities such as resilience and respect. Pupils across the school spoke eagerly about their trip to the Kirklees Music Festival, where they developed their musical skills, singing and performing with pupils from other schools. The wider development of skills such as team-building and problem-solving are promoted well in the outdoor learning activities. Pupils develop strong moral values and an understanding of tolerance and respect through effective teaching in religious education. The quality of teaching in other areas of the curriculum, such as science, history and geography, is more variable across school. As a result, pupils’ progress in these subjects is not as strong.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.
• Although pupils are confident about the support they are given to manage their emotions during lesson times, they are very clear that lunchtimes are a difficult time of the day. They say that there are regular fall-outs that often result in physical violence. Pupils say that well-meaning lunchtime staff encourage them to try to sort the problems out between themselves, but that they are unable to do this.
• Pupils are taught about a range of ways to keep safe, for example when out in the community or when riding their bicycles. They are taught how to use the internet safely. They know about potential risks and take care to manage these carefully. For example, they explained that their school grounds are shared with the high school, so they must not access areas outside without at least one adult. They say that bullying is rare, but that when it does occur, leaders and teachers step in and support them well.
• Vulnerable pupils with complex needs are supported successfully through a number of different strategies that are well matched to their needs.
• Pupils speak highly about the school and the opportunities they are offered, for example in visits, sporting activities and musical events. The chance to read to one of the ‘reading friends’ is a highlight of the week for some of the Year 3 pupils. This calm, positive and engaging opportunity to share books with one of the visiting adults is supporting pupils well in developing their reading skills and their love of books.
• Teaching about different faiths, cultures and points of view is of high quality. Pupils give thoughtful responses to questions about tolerance and respect. They speak confidently and assertively about how everyone is equal and should be valued. In a religious education lesson, pupils gave numerous thoughtful answers to the question, ‘What is more important than money?’ Responses included family, memories, sharing and respect.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• There is a strong feeling among many adults in school that pupils’ poor behaviour has had a negative impact on teaching and learning over recent years. In lessons, some low-level disruption and, more often, disengagement, does negatively affect pupils’ progress in lessons. However, many pupils are polite, listen carefully to each other and adults and want to do their best. They are proud of their school and positive about the support they receive during lesson times.
• Although the behaviour policy was updated last year, behaviour strategies and systems are not always used consistently by adults across school, which has an impact on the way pupils respond.
• Some pupils have complex needs. Many of these pupils are supported well by caring, patient staff who look at creative, positive ways to address their emotional and academic needs.
• Pupils enjoy school. They arrive on time and their attendance is typically in line with and sometimes better than that of other pupils nationally.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Pupils enter school in Year 3 with skills that are in line with or better than those of pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. While pupils’ attainment of the expected standard at the end of Year 6 in 2016 was in line with national figures in reading, writing and mathematics, the progress that these pupils made was significantly less than that of their national peers.
• Disadvantaged pupils do not make consistently strong progress over their time in school. In 2016, Year 6 disadvantaged pupils made significantly less progress from their starting points than other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. The current year 6 pupils have made stronger progress this year and the previous gap between these pupils and others in school has diminished. However, across other year groups the gap remains and pupils are not catching up.
• Not enough focus and support is given to the most able pupils to extend and deepen their learning, particularly in mathematics. These pupils do not make good progress across school.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are starting to make better gains in their learning now that processes to identify and support their needs have been refined. Specific staff training and programmes of work have helped to ensure that pupils’ emotional needs are well met.
• Outcomes across the curriculum are varied. Strong progress is made in subjects such as religious education and physical education, but progress in other subjects is more limited.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 107630 Kirklees 10032021 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 Junior School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 7 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 234 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Acting Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Margaret Winter Louise Szewczyk 01484 540509 http://newsomejuniors.sharepoint.com head.newsomejun@kirkleeseducation.uk Date of previous inspection 4–5 February 2009

Information about this school

• Newsome Junior School is a slightly smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The school is currently going through a formal consultation to federate with Berry Brow Infant and Nursery School.
• 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 proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is similar to the national average. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities with an education, health and care plan is above average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is similar to the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is above average.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in a range of lessons, some alongside the acting headteacher and acting deputy headteacher.
• Inspectors looked at a range of pupils’ work across the curriculum. For English and mathematics this scrutiny of work took place alongside middle leaders.
• Inspectors looked at a wide range of school documents, including: assessment information; school development planning; school self-evaluation; minutes of meetings of the governing body; external reports; information about the performance of teachers; documents relating to behaviour and safety; and documents relating to safeguarding.
• Meetings took place with the acting headteacher, the acting deputy headteacher, the senior leader, middle leaders, teaching and support staff, representatives from the governing body, the local authority learning partner, administration staff and groups of pupils. A phone call took place with the local leader for education who has recently started work with the school.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read.
• Inspectors considered the 18 responses on Parent View.

Inspection team

Kate Rowley, lead inspector Heather Mensah Susan Twaits

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector