Windmill CofE (VC) Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching to strengthen pupils’ outcomes further by ensuring that: classwork is adjusted when necessary to offer greater challenge the pace of learning is appropriate to enable least-able pupils to learn consistently well greater opportunities are provided for pupils to apply their mathematical skills across a wide range of subjects.

• Further increase the rates of progress in the early years by ensuring that consistent challenge is provided by adults when children have selected their own activities.
• Increase the impact of leaders and managers by making sure that all subject leaders are skilled in checking pupils’ learning and the quality of teaching in their areas.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher and governors have developed a strong sense of purpose among all staff and morale is high. They have been very successful in developing the quality of teaching to make sure that pupils’ learning and outcomes are good. Staff and parents are giving leaders their full support to make sure that pupils have a good education.
• Systems for checking the performance of staff are very effective. Performance targets are demanding and checked regularly by leaders. Professional development for teachers is identified and has had a strong impact in strengthening the quality of teaching to be good. Excellent support is given by the headteacher and deputy headteacher for staff who might be falling short of their targets.
• A performance review system for teaching assistants identifies training needs and has led to good provision for pupils. This is a good example of the school’s commitment to ensuring equality of opportunity.
• Newly qualified teachers, and teachers who have recently joined the profession, receive good support that enables them to help pupils make good progress and learn well.
• Leaders have an accurate view of the school and systematically tackle areas they believe need further development. Pupils’ writing has been a key focus this year and it has improved strongly along with the quality of spelling.
• A wide range of information is used to check the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress. The leaders of English and mathematics contribute well to leaders’ understanding of the quality of teaching. They have been coached by the headteacher and deputy headteacher to make sure that their findings are accurate. Other subject leaders have yet to benefit fully from such coaching but are beginning to develop their skills.
• The curriculum makes a good contribution to pupils’ learning. There is a strong focus on developing good skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils enjoy educational visits and the many visitors who enrich their learning, and these are used as stimuli for writing in a range of subjects. For example, a visit to London by Year 5 contributed strongly to pupils’ writing in both history and English. There is a good range of extra activities for pupils including baking, drama and computer clubs.
• The curriculum makes an excellent contribution to pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare as well as their spiritual, moral, social and cultural education. Links with a school in Tanzania have led to some outstanding art work and strong writing. Pupils engage in charity work for the Tanzanian school and took part in a day when all pupils worked without electricity or modern technology to begin to understand what it is like to be in school in Tanzania. Pupils are working with many local schools from very diverse ethnic backgrounds in a community cohesion project.
• The primary school physical education and sport funding is used very well. Pupils engage well in their physical education lessons and are very active at lunchtime. Pupils take part in competitive sport and engage in a very wide range of sporting activities such as cross-country running, football, netball, tennis and cricket.
• The extra funding for those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is used well to provide support for them in class and any external support they might need. These pupils engage fully in the life of the school.
• The additional government funding for disadvantaged pupils is used very effectively. The barriers to learning for these pupils are identified clearly and very effective action is taken. The school’s sophisticated system for tracking pupils’ progress identifies what needs to be done to strengthen the learning of each pupil. Teachers and teaching assistants provide strong additional support before and after school for these pupils. Very rarely are these pupils taken out of their normal classes to provide additional support because they benefit well from the good teaching taking place. When necessary, the funding is used to ensure that disadvantaged pupils can take part in school visits and all aspects of school life.
• The local authority and the diocese check the work of the school regularly and have supported it well in its development. They use an appropriate level of challenge and support to leadership to ensure that the overall effectiveness is good.
• Parents value the school’s work highly. All of the parents responding to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, would recommend the school, and all believe that the school is well led and managed. Communication with parents is strong and there are many opportunities for them to find out about their children’s work and how to make a good contribution to children’s learning.

Governance

• Governors make a good contribution to the leadership of the school. They are ambitious for pupils and have engaged fully in developing the school’s aims and values and its development planning. Governors are highly skilled and have a good knowledge of the school. They support and challenge leaders well to make sure that they have a comprehensive view of this good school.
• Governors audit their skills and make sure that they engage in appropriate training to strengthen their skills when necessary. They are clear about the use and impact of the additional funding for disadvantaged pupils and for those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities Governors have a clear understanding of teachers’ performance and how it links to pay. Governors are thorough in their work and have a good strategic overview of the school and its improvements.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Safeguarding records are of high quality and clearly indicate the school’s commitment to keep all pupils safe. Parents are unanimous in saying that their children are well cared for and safe at school.
• Child protection training for staff and governors means that they are knowledgeable and up to date in terms of the most recent guidance and legislation. Staff are vigilant and know what to do, should they have any concerns about children’s welfare. Governors make sure that all adults on the school site are checked to confirm that they are fit to work with children, and the school’s central register is well kept. Governors receive regular reports about safeguarding to make sure that children’s needs are being met.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Leaders have focused strongly on improving the quality of teaching and have provided very effective training for teachers and teaching assistants. The headteacher’s relentless checking of teaching and his decisive actions have led to good teaching and learning.
• Teachers plan interesting work for pupils and this leads to impressive engagement from pupils. High-quality writing about Viking myths and the flooding of the river Nile in Ancient Egypt showed strong improvements in writing from previous years. Teachers’ good subject knowledge supports pupils well across a wide range of subjects.
• Teachers assess pupils’ work accurately through skilful questioning and timely checking of pupils’ work. They spot misconceptions and errors swiftly, and pupils address them. As result, pupils make good progress and understand what they are learning.
• The pace of learning is usually good, with pupils having enough time to deepen their learning, especially in English and mathematics. However, there are occasions when the least able pupils have too little time to strengthen their knowledge and understanding, and this leads to a lack of understanding that is not cleared up quickly.
• Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and this is ensuring that pupils make good progress. Teachers set challenging tasks that strengthen pupils’ progress well. However, there are times when tasks are too easy, particularly for the most able, and teachers do not adjust the level of challenge to make sure that pupils’ progress is strong.
• An analysis of pupils’ work by inspectors showed that teachers plan many good opportunities for pupils to use their reading and writing skills very effectively across a wide range of subjects. However, it showed that there are few occasions when pupils are encouraged to apply their mathematical skills in a range of subjects. The analysis showed that all teachers follow the school’s policy for marking and feedback, and pupils use teachers’ advice well to improve the quality of their work.
• The use of homework in the school makes a good contribution to pupils’ learning. Pupils are set research activities before topics are taught. This enables teachers to build on pupils’ initial understanding of topics, and enables pupils to debate and contribute at the start of topics. Almost all parents believe appropriate homework is set for their children.
• Teaching assistants work very well with students and are clear about what they are expected to do in class. Their good skills and knowledge enable them to offer good support to pupils of all abilities.
• Excellent relationships and mutual respect exist between pupils and adults. This helps lessons to flow smoothly and good learning to take place.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils are exceptionally proud of their school and make an excellent contribution to the school’s work. They are very smart in their uniform and wear it with pride.
• Many pupils take on leadership roles, contributing impressively to the work of the school. Play leaders, librarians, the school council, ‘peacekeepers’, the rights respecting group, the eco-council and the collective worship council all make a strong contribution to the school.
• Pupils make presentations in assemblies and support the school’s collective worship, and older pupils support the learning of younger pupils. Pupils have many opportunities to develop a strong understanding of democracy by voting for pupil leaders and through visits and visitors such as the local Member of Parliament.
• Pupils have been fully engaged in developing the school’s values of respect, courage, forgiveness, equality, compassion and faith. They focus well on these throughout the year and show strong commitment to them. For example, pupils show great respect for each other, say they ‘treat everyone equally’ and collect for charities to support those less well off than themselves. Children’s understanding of the school’s values makes an excellent contribution to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
• All pupils spoken with said they are safe in school and enjoy school. Visits from the fire service, the police service, the school nurse and other organisations give pupils a very good understanding of how to keep healthy and stay safe, including safe use of the internet.
• Pupils enthuse about the many visits and visitors who contribute strongly to their learning. They told inspectors there was no bullying in school, and school records show it to be exceptionally rare.
• Pupils are exceptionally clear about what constitutes bullying. They told inspectors they took part in an anti-bullying week and a theatre group visited to act out issues around bullying. In this visit, some adults told children about how bullying had impacted on them. Inspectors noted pupils’ high-quality writing about bullying when analysing pupils’ work. Pupils told inspectors that children in school are kind to each other and should they have any worries, staff listen to them and resolve their concerns.
• School leaders have highly effective systems in place to support pupils’ welfare and emotional well-being. The school’s breakfast club is well organised and pupils enjoy their time in this safe environment.
• All parents and staff who made their views known believe that children are safe and well cared for in school.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils’ attitudes to learning are strong and their behaviour, both in class and around the school, is exemplary. They are quick to act on the good advice given by their teachers in order to strengthen their work, and are highly supportive of each other’s learning.
• At breaks and lunchtimes, pupils play extremely well together and no one is left out. Pupils are very polite and confident when speaking with adults, as well as holding doors open for adults and other pupils.
• Attendance is consistently high and there are exceptionally few pupils who are often absent from school. Strong attendance supports pupils’ good learning very well indeed.
• Parents are supportive and make sure that their children are punctual to school. Many pupils arrive very early for the breakfast club and receive additional support for their learning. Pupils are keen to arrive punctually to lessons because they enjoy the work set for them.
• Pupils enjoy the rewards they receive for good behaviour and this contributes strongly to their learning.
• Pupils are unreservedly positive about the school. The vibrant learning environment, with many displays of their good work, is well looked after and there is no litter in school.
• All staff and parents are overwhelmingly positive about behaviour in school.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Since the school opened, the quality of teaching has been improving and pupils are now making good progress across the school.
• Inspectors found that current pupils are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. They found progress in reading and mathematics to be stronger than in writing. Leaders are clear that, now they have established good progress overall in writing, more challenge is required for the most able and middle-ability pupils to reach the very highest standards in greater numbers.
• The most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, and middle-ability pupils are making strong progress in reading and mathematics because of improvements in the quality of teaching and leadership. Leaders recognise that additional challenge will help pupils to excel.
• Leaders use published information on pupils’ outcomes very skilfully to identify key areas for improvement. As a result of good professional development for teachers and teaching assistants, progress in reading and mathematics has improved consistently well over the past two years and, more recently, writing has strengthened considerably.
• Over time, disadvantaged pupils have made at least the same progress as other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. Disadvantaged pupils leaving Year 6 in 2016 made stronger progress in mathematics than other pupils nationally, and their attainment was above that of others.
• Leaders identify barriers to learning for disadvantaged pupils and use the extra funding for these pupils very successfully to overcome them. Currently, attainment for these pupils continues to strengthen. Where gaps in attainment between these pupils and non-disadvantaged pupils exist across the school, they are diminishing rapidly.
• Those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities show good gains in learning and good attainment. Teachers and their assistants have had additional professional development and use leaders’ information about these pupils better than in the past. Consequently, the progress of pupils has strengthened considerably and there are times when these pupils are making rapid progress. Attainment is improving strongly compared with other pupils nationally.
• Attainment at the end of key stage 1 is well above average in reading and at least average in both mathematics and writing, with a good proportion of pupils attaining greater depth in these subjects.
• Inspectors analysed current pupils’ work in subjects other than English and mathematics. Impressive art work was seen and good work in other subjects. Subject leaders have yet to ensure that pupils are deepening their understanding fully in these subjects.
• Reading across the school is strong. Pupils have a good start to early reading in Reception and by the end of Year 1, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the screening test for reading is consistently above average. Daily reading sessions contribute exceptionally well to pupils’ skills and enjoyment. Parents make a good contribution by listening to their children reading at home. Older pupils listen to younger pupils reading and this makes a good contribution to the promotion of reading across the school.
• Teachers choose interesting texts to link to the topics pupils are studying. Pupils’ understanding of what they are reading is checked regularly and is good. Pupils say that books in the school library appeal to them and regular library sessions give them good opportunities to borrow books. Pupils told inspectors they liked reading and many were exceptionally enthusiastic about reading.

Early years provision Good

• Children settle well into Reception. Before children start, the early years leader arranges visits to each nursery provider, organises home visits and makes arrangements for children and parents to visit the provision. This supports accurate assessment of children’s needs and abilities prior to their arrival.
• Children’s skills are variable when they arrive from the many different nursery providers. Almost half the children have broadly typical skills for their age while others have skills below those found typically.
• Good planning and strong leadership ensure that children’s needs are met well. Quick gains are made during the first half year, especially in personal, social and emotional development, and communication and language, along with reading, writing and mathematics.
• There is good teamwork between adults in the provision to check regularly children’s progress and adjust activities to suit children’s needs and abilities. For reading, writing and mathematics, children are grouped by ability and adults are very skilled in making sure that planned work matches pupils’ abilities and challenges them well to make good progress.
• Over time, the proportion of children attaining a good level of development has been strengthening year on year and is above average. Current children’s good progress is making sure that the proportion attaining a good level of development is above average, and a good proportion are exceeding in their early learning goals.
• Overall, good progress is made by children. However, there are times when children are not challenged well enough when they have chosen their own activities. Occasionally, adult guidance and additional questioning are not making sure that learning is consistently strong for children.
• The outdoor provision is impressive with many varied opportunities for children to work together. Both indoors and outdoors, children engage well in physical activities.
• The curriculum makes a good contribution to children’s learning. There is a strong focus on the development of children’s early reading, writing and mathematical skills. Visits and visitors, such as the school nurse, provide good experience to strengthen children’s personal development and welfare. Children know how important it is to eat healthily.
• Children’s behaviour is good because of the many interesting experiences that are available for them, and the strong care and attention they are given by adults. Children listen well and follow the instructions of adults carefully.
• ‘Stay and play’ sessions are attended well by parents. They have a strong interest in their children’s development and have attended sessions about how reading and writing are taught so that they can contribute well at home. Some parents contribute to their child’s online learning journal and the information is used well by the school. Parents are supportive of their children’s learning and are very complimentary about the early years provision.
• Staff in Year 1 and Reception meet regularly so that children make a smooth transition to Year 1. Children are well prepared for learning in Year 1.
• All the appropriate welfare and safeguarding requirements are met in the provision.

School details

Unique reference number 139912 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 10023798 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 422 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Lynn Alvy Headteacher Timothy Scargill Telephone number 01924 470 555 Website www.windmillcofeprimary.co.uk Email address office.windmill@kirkleeseducation.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school was opened on 1 April 2014. It was formed by merging Brownhill Infant School and Brownhill St Saviour’s CofE (VC) Junior School. The current headteacher was appointed at the start of the new school.
• The school is much larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported through the pupil premium is below the national average. It is half the national average.
• Most pupils are White British. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils who have support for special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is below average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• Children start the school in Reception.
• The school manages a breakfast club for pupils.
• The school holds a school games award at silver level.
• There have been significant changes in staffing since the school was opened.
• The school meets the requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed a range of teaching and learning in parts of lessons, some observed together with senior leaders.
• Throughout the two days of the inspection, inspectors spoke with pupils, both individually and in groups, about their learning and safety.
• Inspectors reviewed pupils’ work in lessons and analysed samples of work in pupils’ books.
• An inspector held a meeting with the chair of the governing body and three other governors.
• Inspectors also held meetings with senior leaders and other staff.
• Inspectors visited the school’s breakfast club.
• Inspectors looked at the school’s review of its own performance, its development and improvement plan, a number of key school policies and the minutes of governing body meetings. They considered a range of documentation in relation to child protection, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.
• Inspectors analysed 97 responses to Parent View and 27 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.

Inspection team

Jim McGrath, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Ella Besharati Ofsted Inspector Andrew Soutar Ofsted Inspector