Wooldale 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 consistently good or better and leads to good outcomes for pupils, especially in reading and writing, by ensuring that:
  • work set challenges all groups of pupils, particularly middle-ability and the most able pupils
  • pupils’ learning is accurately assessed and work adjusted, when necessary, to make sure pupils make good progress
  • skilful questioning deepens pupils’ understanding of what is being learned
  • there are more opportunities for pupils to write at length in a range of subjects to deepen their learning and understanding
  • punctuation and spelling are accurate and enhance the quality of writing
  • teachers insist on good handwriting skills and presentation
  • reading materials challenge pupils of all abilities to make good progress
  • pupils’ understanding of what they are reading is checked thoroughly so they develop a comprehensive understanding and make good progress.
• Increase the effectiveness of leaders, including governors, by ensuring that:
  • senior and subject leaders raise their expectations to make sure the quality of pupils’ work and of teaching is consistently good across the school
  • assessment is accurate and is used to challenge and support pupils to make good progress
  • ambitious pupil targets are used to hold teachers to account for their work
  • senior leaders take swift action when school policies are not followed and pupils are not making good progress
  • senior and subject leaders check pupils’ work thoroughly to make sure good progress is being made
  • actions to support disadvantaged pupils are checked meticulously to make sure they are effective in helping these pupils catch up quickly
  • disadvantaged pupils attend as well as others to increase their rates of progress
  • improvement plans clearly show the intended impact that actions are to have on improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress
  • the quality of teaching and leadership is improved to good by using the skills of good or outstanding schools. 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

• Senior leaders and governors have not ensured that the quality of teaching is consistently good and that pupils’ progress is good. They have not set challenging targets for pupils to develop greater depth in their learning. Consequently, leaders have not been ambitious enough for pupils.
• Senior leaders have an overgenerous view of the school’s effectiveness. They have not held teachers to account for pupils’ achievement. The system for checking teachers’ performance has not been thorough and linked well to pupils’ achievement. As a result, senior leaders do not have an accurate view of the quality of teaching. They have not acted quickly to improve pupils’ progress, especially in writing and reading. In mathematics, subject leaders check work thoroughly but senior leaders have not supported them well enough to eradicate inconsistencies.
• The headteacher and assessment leader have not made sure teachers are sufficiently skilled to assess pupils’ learning accurately. This limits pupils’ progress, as work set is not demanding for many pupils.
• Senior leaders identify clear priorities and actions in their improvement plans. However, they do not identify by how much the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress are expected to improve. This limits their ability to hold teachers to account for the work they do.
• Professional development has been identified for staff, including support staff. It has had most effect in improving progress in mathematics. Subject leaders in mathematics have worked with other schools to identify good practice and share it with staff. There is a more consistent approach to the teaching of mathematics. Pupils benefit more from better teaching in mathematics than in writing and reading.
• Over time, leaders have not used the additional funding for disadvantaged pupils effectively to help them catch up quickly in reading, writing and mathematics. They have used the funding well to make sure these pupils can engage fully in the life of the school. Visits and additional activities are subsidised for disadvantaged pupils.
• The curriculum provides a wealth of opportunities for pupils to develop good personal development skills and to be well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is developing well. Visits and additional activities provide a stimulus for learning. For example, a visit to Chester gave pupils an opportunity to dress as Roman soldiers and begin to understand life in Roman Britain.
• There is a wide range of subjects studied by pupils and many experiences on offer, such as visits to the theatre, a school choir, musical tuition, and gardening and cookery sessions. However, leaders have not ensured that the curriculum is effective in developing pupils’ good progress in reading, writing, mathematics and across a wider range of subjects.
• Leaders identify pupils for additional learning support. Some individuals and small groups of pupils are benefiting from good support in mathematics and improved support in reading.
• Extra funding for those pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is used very effectively. Leaders make sure that these pupils have good support in school and extra specialist support from external agencies when necessary.
• The primary school physical education and sport funding is used very well indeed. Pupils are proud of their sporting achievements in tennis, cross country and long distance running, rounders and indoor athletics. Leaders are well aware of pupils’ skills and provide bespoke coaching and training for pupils in cycling and other activities. Leaders have used a local professional rugby league team to work with pupils on developing healthy attitudes to life. Each week, the vast majority of pupils participate in additional sporting activity and all participate in physical education lessons.
• Parents responding to Ofsted’s questionnaire hold the school in high regard. Those spoken to say leaders keep them well informed and respond well to their concerns.
• The school has requested support from the local authority and advice has been given. This has had most effect in supporting improvements in mathematics. More recently, the local authority has developed a support plan with the school and is providing additional funding and advice to improve work in writing and reading. Over time, the local authority’s support has not been good enough to prevent a decline in the overall effectiveness of the school.

Governance of the school

• Governors do not hold leaders to account sufficiently well enough to ensure that pupils make good progress. Over time, they have not established a clear view about pupils’ achievements in comparison to national progress measures. Information given to them by leaders has not been comprehensive. It has limited governors’ ability to challenge leaders about pupils’ progress. Governors do not challenge leaders well to ensure that there are high aspirations for pupils.
• More recently, there has been greater challenge to leaders. However, it has not led to good teaching or an accurate view of the school from senior leaders. Governors visit the school and are clear about the school’s work in establishing good personal development, behaviour and welfare.
• Governors are well aware of how school funding is used. They know the sports funding and funding for those pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is spent well. They know the attainment of disadvantaged pupils is not high enough. Governors have commissioned an external review of the use of pupil premium funding but it had not occurred by the time of the inspection.
• Governors are keen to ensure that they fulfil their duties and have ensured that statutory policies to guide the school’s work are up to date.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders are very effective in ensuring that staff understand that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Staff are vigilant and there is a strong culture across the school to ensure that pupils are kept safe from harm. Leaders have made sure that all staff are clear about their duty to keep children safe and how to report matters of concern.
• Record-keeping is meticulous and indicates a strong commitment to making sure children are safe. There is evidence of good links with external agencies and parents to make sure children are safe, especially the most vulnerable.
• There is a designated governor for safeguarding. Regular reports are made to keep governors up to date about safeguarding. Checks are made by governors to make sure pre-employment checks meet requirements and staff training covers all pertinent safeguarding matters.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching is variable across the school. It requires improvement because too few pupils, including the most able and middle-ability pupils, make good progress.
• Teachers do not set work that challenges pupils well enough so that they make good progress, especially in writing and reading. In mathematics, there is some challenging work that is clearly explained and pupils, including the most able, make good progress. However, this is not consistent across classes and more is to be done in mathematics, especially for middle-ability pupils.
• Teachers do not maintain consistently high expectations of, for example, the quality of handwriting, which is very variable across and within classes, as is pupils’ presentation of work. Teachers are too willing to accept some poor-quality work and are not demanding that pupils always do their best. However, when reminded, pupils do make a good effort to present work well, especially in mathematics.
• Teachers do not assess pupils’ learning accurately and this hinders the progress pupils make. Teachers do not use school policies for assessment consistently and misconceptions are not cleared up for pupils. This slows pupils’ learning.
• Work set is not adjusted if it is too easy, and this slows learning. When questioning is used skilfully, pupils are keen to engage and answer in detail to deepen their learning. However, questioning is variable and is not used consistently well to seek out understanding. For example, teachers do not probe pupils’ understanding of what they are reading, so that they gain a high level of understanding. This does not support good progress for middle-ability pupils and the most able.
• Analysis of current pupils’ work showed too few opportunities for pupils to write at length and use sophisticated vocabulary and grammar to write well. Teachers have inconsistent expectations of pupils’ work. As a result, pupils produce too little high-quality writing. This limits pupils’ ability to show a depth of understanding across a wide range of subjects. Teachers do not challenge inaccurate spelling. This lowers the quality of writing.
• The analysis showed that pupils do not respond fully to comprehension work. Pupils are not developing a high level of understanding or forming secure opinions about what they are reading. In mathematics, pupils apply their mathematical problem-solving skills effectively. However, assessment of learning is not consistent across the school and supporting good progress.
• Teaching assistants support pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities skilfully. Teachers do not maximise the skills of teaching assistants with other pupils, and progress for these pupils is not good.
• Overall, pupils enjoy the work that is planned for them by teachers. As a result, pupils behave well and lessons flow smoothly.
• Teachers establish positive relationships with pupils, who show respect for each other and the adults who work with them.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils told inspectors that they enjoy school. Pupils spoken to said that they were safe in school because staff look after them well, and should they have any concerns, adults listen to them and sort matters out. A box is available for pupils to write down any worries, and teachers act swiftly to resolve any concerns. Pupils care for each other and get along well together.
• Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe. They learn how to ride bicycles safely. Visitors make a good contribution to pupils’ understanding of how to stay safe. For example, leaders organised for a safety specialist to present training for both staff and pupils on how to operate ‘lock-down’ procedures in emergency situations.
• Pupils vote for the school council and develop a good understanding of democracy. Recently, they have voted for their choice of sports equipment for the local community.
• Pupils said that play leaders from Year 6 organise games for them and distribute sports equipment at lunchtime. Pupils are very active at breaktime and lunchtime. They play well together and appreciate the variety of sports organised for them, such as cricket and basketball. Pupils are proud of the school’s sporting achievements.
• Pupils enjoy the posts of responsibility given to them. For example, they enjoy organising the healthy tuck shop at breaktime, as well as being school librarians.
• Inspectors noted how respectfully pupils treated each other and the adults who work with them. Pupils are courteous and polite. They socialise well together in the dining hall and have good manners.
• Pupils say there is little bullying and school records confirm this. They are confident that staff do not tolerate bullying and resolve any issues quickly.
• Pupils are smart and take pride in their appearance. Generally, they take pride in their work and present work neatly. Occasionally, some pupils do not take enough care and pride in their work and presentation slips because teachers’ expectations are not consistently high.
• Parents and staff are highly confident that pupils are safe in school and well cared for.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• The school is a calm and welcoming place where pupils conduct themselves well, inside the classroom and around the school.
• Pupils are keen to behave well and to participate in a wide range of activities. They behave well in the dining room and have good manners.
• Parents make sure their children are punctual to school. Attendance is broadly average. However, disadvantaged pupils are not attending as well as others and this is affecting the progress they are making. The school has very effective systems to check on those pupils not attending to make sure they are safe.
• Pupils know what is expected of them and contribute well to their learning. They cooperate very well with adults in the classroom, and are keen to please them. Very occasionally, when the pace of learning slows, pupils lose concentration but do not disrupt others.
• Parents, staff and pupils believe behaviour is good.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Leaders and teachers have not challenged pupils effectively to make good progress in reading, mathematics and especially writing. Pupils’ learning in a range of subjects is below average. Consequently, progress has not been strong and requires improvement.
• Over time, pupils’ progress has been slow in reading, writing and mathematics, especially for middle-ability pupils. From above average starting points, pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics combined is below average, with too few pupils attaining the highest standard.
• Pupils leaving Year 6 in 2017 made weak progress in writing, with the most able and middle-ability pupils making especially slow progress. Progress in reading and mathematics improved in 2017. However, it remained significantly below average in reading and broadly average in mathematics. Overall, attainment was well below average in writing, below average in reading and average in mathematics.
• Inspectors checked current pupils’ work and found that teachers’ expectations are not consistently high, especially in writing and reading. Pupils do not make good progress, especially the most able and middle-ability pupils, in reading, writing and mathematics. Progress in mathematics is better than in reading and writing, but is still not strong overall. In mathematics, specialist teaching for the most able is strengthening their progress.
• In history, geography, science and computing, pupils do not deepen their understanding well enough. There is some impressive work in French and good standards in physical education.
• Over time, disadvantaged pupils have not made good progress. In 2017, those leaving school slipped further behind others in writing and reading. In mathematics, differences in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and others did not diminish. Inspectors checked the work of disadvantaged pupils and noted signs of improvement in progress. However, these pupils are still not catching up quickly.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress. Leaders identify the needs of these pupils precisely and make sure they receive good support from teaching assistants in classrooms and extra teaching support in the school’s intervention room. When necessary, extra support from external agencies is sought to meet the needs of pupils, particularly those with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan.
• Reading is encouraged by the school. Some pupils read widely and benefit fully from reading at home, as well as in school. However, leaders know that further work is to be done to ensure that disadvantaged pupils, in particular, read regularly at home. Leaders are aware of those pupils who do not read at home and provide extra reading sessions in school. There is a well-stocked library and pupils enjoy the new books purchased for them.
• Inspectors found that most pupils read fluently but do not develop a deep understanding of the texts they are reading. Pupils are not challenged well to provide detailed responses to comprehension tasks and to give full responses to adults’ questions. There are times when class texts or the books chosen by pupils are not challenging enough to help pupils make good progress in reading.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 107676 Kirklees 10037714 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 235 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Dawn Whiteley Christine Wood 01484 686252 www.wooldalejunior.org.uk/ information@kirkroyds.co.uk Date of previous inspection 26 February 2013

Information about this school

• The school is smaller than the average-sized junior school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below average. One in five pupils are disadvantaged.
• Most pupils are White British. There are exceptionally few pupils who speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils who have support for SEN and/or disabilities is below average.
• The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is above 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.
• The school does not meet the Department for Education’s definition of a coasting school based on key stage 2 academic performance results in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
• The school was federated with a local infant school in January 2013. The two schools are led and managed by an executive headteacher and a shared governing body.
• The school meets the requirements for the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed a range of teaching and learning throughout the school. Several observations were undertaken jointly with the headteacher.
• During the two days of the inspection, inspectors spoke with pupils, both individually and in groups, about learning and safety. Inspectors also spoke with parents.
• Inspectors reviewed pupils’ work in lessons and analysed samples of work in pupils’ books.
• Inspectors listened to pupils reading.
• An inspector held a meeting with the chair of the governing body and three other governors. A meeting was held with the school’s improvement adviser from the local authority.
• Inspectors also held meetings with senior leaders and other staff.
• Inspectors looked at the school’s review of its own performance, its development and improvement plans, a number of school policies, and the minutes of meetings of the governing body. They considered a range of documentation in relation to child protection, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.
• Inspectors analysed 46 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents (Parent View). They also considered 18 responses to the Ofsted staff questionnaire and 38 responses to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire.
• On the afternoon of the first day of the inspection, all pupils attended a school carol concert at the local church.

Inspection team

Jim McGrath, lead inspector Mary Lanovy-Taylor Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector