St James' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, especially in key stage 2, so that it is at least consistently good in all subjects and pupils make good progress by:
  • staff having high expectations of what pupils can achieve
  • setting work that matches pupils’ needs and abilities and is challenging
  • swiftly engaging pupils in challenging tasks in mathematics, especially the most able pupils
  • skilfully questioning pupils to deepen their understanding of what is being learned
  • increasing opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical skills and write at length across a wide range of subjects
  • checking pupils’ understanding of what they are reading and strengthening their vocabulary
  • checking pupils’ spelling meticulously to strengthen the quality of writing
  • ensuring that pupils have good skills to check their spelling and their answers to problems in mathematics.
• Increase the impact of leaders and governors by making sure that:
  • subject leaders and the head of school are highly skilled in checking and improving the quality of teaching and learning across the curriculum
  • subject leaders and the head of school have sufficient time to check teaching and learning
  • performance management is used well to hold leaders and staff to account and to strengthen teaching and learning
  • professional development is improving teaching quickly, especially teachers’ subject knowledge, to strengthen pupils’ progress
  • the outcomes of the planned pupil premium review are used well to strengthen the progress of disadvantaged pupils
  • recommendations from the review of governance are used to improve the school’s overall effectiveness to be good.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Over time, the work of leaders and governors has not made sure that pupils’ outcomes and the quality of teaching are good. As a result, the overall effectiveness of the school has declined and requires improvement. They have not tackled successfully all of the areas for improvement from the previous inspection.
• Within the school, subject leaders and the head of school have not been given sufficient time and training to assess the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress accurately. This has led to teaching outcomes not being good for pupils and the quality of teaching being too variable.
• Systems for checking the performance of teachers are improving. Previous performance targets for teachers were not easily measurable and secure enough to hold leaders and teachers to account well enough. A new system has been introduced, with clear targets for staff. The new executive headteacher has organised appropriate professional development from staff in other schools across the federation. There are signs that this is improving teaching but the full impact of the support and training has yet to be measured in terms of pupils’ outcomes.
• The new executive headteacher has an accurate view of the school’s performance and has quickly identified key priorities for improvement. He has taken decisive action to improve teaching and leadership across the school. Staff are supportive of the changes he is making and the support he is giving the school. They are clear about the school’s priorities, morale is high and they hold the new executive headteacher in high regard. He is making sure that the school has the capacity to improve.
• The curriculum, although providing a wide range of subjects, has not been taught well enough over time to help pupils to make good progress. Mathematical skills and literacy skills have not been strengthened by good application across other subjects. Teaching of other subjects has not deepened pupils’ knowledge and understanding well enough. Since September 2016, a new curriculum has been put in place and is using a wide range of visits to stimulate pupils’ interests in topics. Pupils are excited about their visits to York Castle Museum and the National Media Museum to promote their understanding of history and animation.
• The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is strong. Pupils study and celebrate various religious festivals and take part in Bollywood dancing and African drumming, as well as other cultural activities. They all have an opportunity to play a musical instrument, artwork is of a good quality and they have a good understanding of how to socialise well and treat each other with dignity and respect. Pupils are developing a good understanding of what it takes to be a good citizen.
• The primary school physical education and sports funding is used very well to strengthen participation in sport and exercise. All pupils take part in ‘wake up shake up’ exercises and there are good opportunities to take part in yoga, triathlon, cross-country, cricket and football. The school makes sure that all pupils participate in sport and exercise, as well as many participating in competitive sport, including skipping.
• The pupil premium funding is providing a wide range of support and intervention to help disadvantaged pupils engage effectively in school. It is used to ensure equality of access, for example by funding visits to the theatre. However, it has not been effective in ensuring good outcomes for these pupils and further work has yet to be done to ensure that the spending improves academic achievement. The executive headteacher is aware of this and has commissioned a review which has yet to be started.
• Additional funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is allocated effectively and ensures that they engage well in mainstream classes.
• The local authority has an accurate view of the school and has provided information, over time, to support the school’s development. However, leaders have not used this information well enough to promote improvements in teaching and learning. Currently, the local authority and, very recently, the diocese are providing good external evaluation of the school’s work and helping the executive headteacher to strengthen the school’s overall effectiveness.

Governance of the school

• Over time, governors have not challenged leaders well enough to make sure that the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes were consistently good. They have been too willing to accept incomplete answers to their questions and have not been thorough enough in making sure that the additional funding for disadvantaged children has been used well enough.
• Following significant changes in membership of the governing body in September 2016, there is clear evidence that governance is improving. The new chair of governors and others are challenging leaders better than in the past and seeking clarity about the effectiveness of the school.
• Governors know from analysing national information that pupils’ performance across the school needs strengthening. They have ‘ring-fenced’ finances to strengthen support for disadvantaged pupils. They visit the school regularly and have used external support from the local authority and the diocese to check on the performance of the school. Governors are clear about the finances of the school and have appropriate committees to support their work.
• An audit of governors’ skills has taken place to make sure that they are best suited to the roles they are taking on and to identify any necessary training. As yet, it is too early to ascertain their impact on the overall effectiveness of the school, although they are keen to strengthen it.
• An external audit of the effectiveness of governance has been commissioned by the governing body and is taking place but its findings have not yet been concluded.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders have been very effective in ensuring that staff understand that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. The designated leaders for safeguarding have made sure that all staff are clear about their duty to keep children safe. Staff are very clear about how to report matters of concern about children and the correct steps to take if a child makes an allegation of abuse.
• Record-keeping is meticulous. There is evidence of appropriate links with external agencies and parents to make sure that children are safe, especially the most vulnerable. The school’s record of staff recruitment is well kept, with clear employment records. Staff details are checked to ensure that they are suitable to work with children.
• There is a designated governor for safeguarding who makes sure that regular reports are made and governors are kept suitably up to date about safeguarding. Governors commissioned an external audit of safeguarding to reassure themselves that safeguarding across the school meets statutory requirements.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Since the previous inspection, the quality of teaching has been inconsistent and not good. Teaching requires improvement, as it is variable across key stage 2. Although improving in key stage 1, greater challenge is required in mathematics for pupils’ progress to be good.
• Expectations are not consistently high for all pupils. Work set is not challenging pupils, including the most able pupils, well enough to make good progress and reach the highest standards. When challenging work is set, particularly in mathematics, the most able pupils are not encouraged to tackle it swiftly. They spend too long on easier questions, which slows their progress.
• Questioning is not used skilfully enough to check pupils’ learning or to develop it well. Questions can be too challenging for the least able pupils and the younger pupils in the mixed-age classes, and not challenging enough for others. This leads to some pupils not being able to engage well or not having to think deeply about what they are learning. As a result, pupils’ progress is not good and requires improvement. There are examples of good questioning pitched appropriately, with pupils’ answers used to check and deepen learning, but this is not consistent.
• An analysis of current pupils’ work showed that staff are not diligent in checking the quality of spelling to make sure that pupils’ progress is good in writing. They are not encouraging pupils to check their spelling before finalising written work. Also, they are not encouraging pupils to use a range of checks in mathematics to ensure that work is accurate.
• The analysis of work showed that skills in writing are developing better and more consistently in key stage 1 than across key stage 2. However, it showed too few opportunities for pupils to write at length across a range of subjects to deepen their learning and to strengthen their writing skills, particularly in key stage 2. There are few opportunities for pupils to use their mathematical skills regularly in a range of subjects. Consequently, pupils’ application of mathematical skills and their writing skills are not developing strongly. Effective challenge to support reading was seen, particularly in key stage 1.
• Across the school, pupils’ work is assessed regularly and, on occasions, work is adjusted to help pupils make good progress. However, teachers’ assessment skills are inconsistent and they are not using their subject knowledge well enough to strengthen learning and pupils’ vocabulary.
• Good relationships between adults and pupils feature strongly across the school. The support of teaching assistants is effective and appreciated by pupils.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils listen to others’ opinions well and show great respect for each other. They are polite, courteous and welcoming to visitors. They take pride in their work and most pupils’ work is well presented.
• Pupils are confident in expressing their views and know adults listen to them well. Pupils vote for their school council and this is a good introduction to democracy. The school promotes tolerance, respect and understanding of diversity. This is preparing pupils well to take their place in modern Britain.
• Pupils are very clear about what constitutes bullying and are confident that the school does not tolerate it and takes effective action should it occur. School records show bullying is rare.
• Pupils told the inspector that they enjoy school and they are safe. Pupils are well taught about how to keep safe when using the internet. The school promotes this well with parents through its school website and regular communication with parents. Pupils know that they should not respond to unknown email contacts and should inform their parents or teachers if this happens.
• Pupils have good opportunities to participate in activities that will keep them fit and healthy. A good range of visitors from the local police, fire brigade and other agencies promotes good personal development and welfare.
• School leaders have very effective systems in place to support pupils’ welfare and safety, particularly the safety of the most vulnerable pupils. Pupils enjoy the after-school club and there are good procedures to keep them safe.
• Parents and staff are very confident that children are safe and well cared for in school.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• The school is a calm and orderly place where pupils manage their conduct well, both inside and outside the classroom. Pupils behave well in the dining hall. In the playground, they play well together and line up quickly to be punctual to their lessons.
• Generally, pupils are keen to learn and take opportunities to strengthen their work using teachers’ advice. Occasionally, a few pupils can lose concentration but they do not disturb others.
• Pupils know what is expected of them and behave well. They say that they believe behaviour is good around the school and in lessons. Pupils say there is ‘some falling out but teachers do sort it out’. They are confident that staff listen to them and resolve any issues they might have. The inspector saw pupils skipping and playing well together at lunchtime, as well as seeing good behaviour in lessons.
• Attendance is average, with a good proportion of pupils attending very well. The number of pupils who are often absent is reducing quickly, although a few are still absent too often. With the support of their parents, pupils are punctual to school.
• The school environment is well cared for and is litter-free. Displays of pupils’ work and other educational displays interest pupils and promote good learning.
• Staff believe that behaviour is good in school. Parents agree and believe that their children enjoy school.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Since the previous inspection, pupils’ progress has been broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics across key stages 1 and 2, but not good. Across a wide range of subjects, pupils’ work shows expected outcomes but not consistently good development of learning.
• Published performance information shows that pupils are not making good progress by the time they leave school at the end of Year 6. After average progress over a few years, the most recent information shows a dip in progress and attainment in 2016, especially in reading and mathematics. Pupils were not well prepared for the new and more challenging tests. The new executive headteacher has started to tackle the school’s weaknesses and signs of improvement are emerging across the school.
• For key stage 1 in 2016, reading attainment was above average, as a good proportion of pupils attained greater depth in their reading skills. Progress in writing and mathematics needed to be strengthened further to ensure good progress overall.
• An analysis of current pupils’ work showed that their progress across the school, and in a range of subjects, is inconsistent, particularly in key stage 2. There are signs of improvement but not enough for progress to be good overall. In key stage 1, pupils’ reading and writing show promising progress, with progress in mathematics improving because of better teaching.
• For the small number of disadvantaged pupils, gaps in attainment are not diminishing consistently well in comparison to other pupils nationally. Attainment remains below other pupils nationally, as teaching and additional support have not helped them make swift enough progress. The executive headteacher has plans in place to strengthen progress for these pupils, although it is too soon to measure the impact securely.
• There are exceptionally few pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and too few to compare their progress with others. Effective support is in place to ensure that these pupils work in mainstream classes and are included well in the life of the school.
• There are too few most-able pupils, including most-able disadvantaged pupils, to make meaningful comparisons with similar pupils nationally. However, the inspector noted that most-able pupils would benefit from swifter challenge in mathematics in both key stages 1 and 2.
• The executive headteacher has made sure that there are regular reading sessions in school, as well as regular reading at home. Additional support in school is given to those few pupils who do not read at home. Pupils told the inspector that they enjoyed reading, especially the younger pupils. The most recent phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 showed that pupils’ skills are above average.
• This year, comprehension sessions have been introduced to support pupils’ understanding of what they are reading. Occasionally, questions are included in home reading diaries for parents to check understanding. Generally, pupils read fluently but their understanding is not checked well enough across key stage 2. More has to be done to ensure that pupils’ vocabulary is strengthened to understand fully the books and information they are reading.

Early years provision Good

• Children are safe and happy because of the secure procedures that exist in early years and the good links with parents. Parents have good opportunities to ‘stay and play’ with their children in the well-designed early years environment. There is a calm and purposeful environment where children settle well and cooperate well together.
• Over time, most children enter the Nursery with skills that are below those typical for their age. Accurate assessment procedures identify the needs of each child and skilled adults use these well to strengthen learning. Children’s skills in communication and language, along with personal development, social and emotional skills, are focused on strongly, as these tend to be less well developed than other skills. Quickly, children become confident, work together well and enjoy talking about their learning because of skilled teaching.
• Children make good progress in the early years. By the end of Reception, the proportion of children attaining a good level of development is at least average, with a good proportion exceeding the early learning goals. Children are making good progress because of good teaching and the leader’s very effective deployment of staff to support children’s learning. By the end of Reception, children are well prepared for learning in Year 1.
• The leader and other adults have high expectations and provide good opportunities for children to develop good reading, writing and mathematical skills. Well-planned activities engage children in their learning. Good questioning helps children to share their thoughts well.
• Children’s interests are known well and adults design the curriculum to meet children’s interests. This supports their good progress and their good personal development, behaviour and welfare. Children, particularly boys, enjoyed writing using the school’s computer equipment, while others played well together, riding bicycles and learning about road safety.
• Good leadership makes sure that there are strong links between home and school. This helps adults to get to know the children’s needs and abilities quickly. Parents make a good contribution to children’s assessment. They record their children’s activities at home and this contributes well to children’s learning journals and teachers’ good planning for learning.
• Children’s behaviour is very good indeed. They play safely with each other and tidy away without being prompted. Provision for indoor and outdoor learning is good and used well by children. There are good resources to support children’s learning. Occasionally, tasks in mathematics could be more challenging and greater opportunities could be provided for children to write when learning outdoors.
• There is good provision for two-year-olds. Staff are well led and skilled in meeting the needs of the children. Children engaged well in singing and dancing indoors and played very well together and with adults in the outdoor learning areas. Practitioners are patient and attentive and know the needs of children well. Very occasionally, questioning could be more skilful to help children strengthen their speaking skills further.
• School information shows that children in the two-year-old provision gain good skills and this is strengthening attainment on entry to Nursery. This year, attainment on entry to Nursery is broadly average whereas, in the past, it was below average.
• All the appropriate welfare and safeguarding requirements are met in the early years, including those for two-year-olds.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 107995 Leeds 10000549 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 Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary controlled 2 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 95 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Rachel Greenhalgh David Roundtree (executive headteacher) Telephone number 01937 583 379 Website Email address

www.wetherbystjames.leeds.sch.uk

suecraggs@spherefederation.org Date of previous inspection 22 March 2012

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• There are a small number of pupils supported through the pupil premium.
• Most of the pupils are White British. Very few speak English as an additional language.
• There are a very small number of pupils who have support for special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Children start early years with part-time provision at two years of age. Children from three to five years of age have full- or part-time provision in the Nursery. In Reception, children receive full-time education. Pupils in the main school are taught in mixed-age groups, with Years 1 and 2 in one class, Years 3 and 4 in one class and Years 5 and 6 in one class.
• 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 is a member of the Sphere Federation of schools. The other two schools in the federation are Scholes (Elmet) and Moortown Primary schools.
• The school organises its own after-school club.
• The executive headteacher was appointed from 1 April 2016. He is the third headteacher since the previous inspection. He is a local leader of education.
• The head of school was permanently appointed on 1 April 2015 after five months as acting head of school. There has also been significant change to staffing and membership of the governing body.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed a range of teaching and learning in parts of lessons.
• He spoke with pupils, both individually and in groups, about learning and safety.
• The inspector listened to pupils reading. He reviewed pupils’ work in lessons and analysed samples of work in pupils’ books.
• The inspector held a meeting with the chair of the governing body and two other governors. He also met with a representative of the local authority and held a telephone conversation with a diocesan representative.
• The inspector 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. He considered a range of documentation in relation to child protection, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.
• The inspector analysed 17 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire and six responses to Ofsted’s online pupil questionnaire. He also spoke with parents at the start of the school day.
• During the one-day section 8 inspection, insufficient evidence was found to confirm that the school remained good. The inspection was deemed to be a section 5 inspection and the school was inspected for a second day.

Inspection team

Jim McGrath, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector