Maltby Lilly Hall Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality and consistency of teaching, particularly in key stage 2, by ensuring that:
  • staff use the detailed information the school gathers about pupils to inform and focus their teaching so that all pupils, including the most able, make more rapid progress
  • staff share the good practice in the school so that they learn from each other and their overall skills improve
  • teaching assistants are more carefully deployed and their work with pupils more focused so that pupils make more rapid progress
  • all staff have the highest expectations of all pupils.
• Continue to improve pupils’ writing skills by:
  • ensuring that pupils in every class have a wide, varied and challenging diet of writing opportunities to develop their skills and confidence as accurate writers
  • increasing the range of opportunities, particularly for the most able pupils, to write at length in a range of subjects beyond English
  • further developing and deepening the links between reading and writing across the school.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The executive principal has been in post for a year. He believes that all pupils can and must do well. As a result of this conviction, he has moved effectively to address the school’s historical weaknesses. Working with the trust, governors and his senior team, he has made changes to staffing and ensured that training for staff is focused specifically on improving pupils’ outcomes. He has put in place rigorous systems to monitor the progress of pupils and the quality of teaching. He has developed a school-wide approach to reading. He has also taken effective steps to improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils. Although there is still more to do, the school is improving rapidly.
• Leaders monitor the quality of teaching and its effect on pupils’ learning very carefully. They use the information they gather to help staff improve the quality of their teaching. Leaders have worked successfully to ensure that staff feel valued and have opportunities to improve their skills. As a result, the pockets of weaker teaching are diminishing.
• Leaders support newly appointed staff very effectively. Those new to teaching are particularly well supported. These recently qualified staff bring dynamism and enthusiasm to the school. As one leader said to inspectors, they are part of the ‘engine room’ of the school’s growing success.
• Pupil premium funding is focused precisely and effectively by leaders to ensure that barriers to learning are, as far as possible, removed. As a result, disadvantaged pupils do at least as well as their peers at the school. Similarly, the school, working with the trust, uses its allocation of the physical education (PE) and sport funding successfully both to give pupils opportunities to extend their sports skills and experience and to develop existing staff’s expertise in teaching PE.
• The additional funding the school receives to support pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is used effectively. The recently appointed special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has been very effective in making sure that carefully focused actions are put in place to meet these pupils’ needs. She has also, through careful monitoring, assured the effect of these actions. As a result, these pupils make good progress from their starting points. Communication and partnership with the families of these pupils are particular strengths.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is developed well both in lessons and through the wide range of extra-curricular opportunities that are on offer. Regular charity events give pupils insights into the wider world and the ways that they can make a difference.
• There are close and effective links between the management of staff performance and staff training. Leaders, working effectively with the trust, make sure that staff training is carefully targeted on what pupils need. This support is now well established for teaching staff. It is less well developed for teaching assistants.
• Middle leadership is a developing strength of the school. The growing confidence of these subject and phase leaders is having a very positive effect on improving teaching and learning. This is because these staff work with their colleagues in school and across the trust to develop their own subject knowledge and skill. Working with senior leaders, they are also developing their monitoring skills. This is having a positive effect on the quality of teaching.
• Most parents and carers speak very positively about the school and the support it gives their children. A significant number spoke positively about the school’s leadership and the ‘journey’ the school has been on. Parents reported that communications between school and home are strong and helpful.
• The school is effectively supported by the trust. The school works closely with other schools in the trust to share expertise and to check the accuracy of its judgements about how well pupils are doing.

Governance of the school

• Governors share the executive principal’s ambition for the school. They are realistic about the work that still needs to be done to improve the school further. They receive very detailed information about the progress of the school and its pupils from the executive principal and his team. However, they do not rely solely on this in making their assessments of how well the school is doing and what it needs to do next to continue to improve. Governors also use their well-developed links with staff and subject leaders across the school to make their assessments. They also visit the school regularly to talk with pupils and judge the effect of leaders’ actions.
• The school’s governing body is well supported and trained by the trust. The working relationship between the trust and the local governing body is open, supportive and carefully balanced. Members of the local governing body sit on the trust board committees.
• Governors use effective performance management procedures to improve teaching and learning.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders and governors, working with the trust, maintain a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. Staff show a clear understanding of their responsibilities and of the processes and attitudes that keep pupils safe. As a result, staff promptly identify, and appropriately support, potentially vulnerable pupils. They engage rigorously with outside agencies to ensure that pupils get the support they need.
• Leaders ensure that pupils have many opportunities to learn how to stay safe, through activities in class time, through the planned programme of assemblies and by regular visits from outside speakers. Pupils told inspectors that they regularly learn about how to stay safe online.
• Pupils told inspectors that they are confident that if they had concerns, adults would listen and take prompt and appropriate action. Pupils are appreciative of the way adults at the school take care of them. One pupil told the lead inspector that ‘We’re one big happy family here.’
• Procedures for checking the suitability of visitors and staff recruitment are secure. Leaders check staff’s suitability to work with children appropriately.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teaching, learning and assessment, although improving, are not good because of remaining inconsistencies, particularly in key stage 2. In addition, the high-quality practice that does exist is not consistently shared. As a result, too many pupils are not making the progress that they should.
• Too often, staff do not make effective use of the detailed and accurate information that the school gathers about individual and groups of pupils. As a result, some of the teaching is not focused precisely enough on what pupils need to do and know to make rapid progress.
• Although, overall, staff expectations of what pupils should and must achieve are high, there is still a minority of staff whose expectations are not consistently high enough. This is borne out by the evidence seen in some pupils’ books. Sometimes tasks set are too easy, and there is variation in the amount and quality of work staff expect pupils to complete.
• Although generally well deployed and very dedicated, the effect of teaching assistants on improving pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills is too variable. This is because these staff do not yet have full access to training and other opportunities to help them develop their skills and expertise.
• In most classes, teachers ensure that pupils’ writing skills are developed effectively. Teachers plan a range of contexts for writing. Evidence from the scrutiny of pupils’ books shows that the quality of handwriting, sentence structure and vocabulary is improving. However, overall, pupils are not being given enough opportunities to write at sufficient length to deepen their understanding and explore ideas. This is particularly the case for the most able pupils.
• Teachers display good subject knowledge and they share their enthusiasm for learning with their pupils. Pupils are keen to learn. They say that they enjoy challenge and exploring ideas. They have very good attitudes to learning. They work well together and want to learn.
• During visits to lessons, inspectors saw pupils thriving in stimulating classrooms where learning was a shared and exciting adventure. In a lesson on ‘Treasure Island’, for example, the teacher used very skilled questioning, thorough knowledge and quiet enthusiasm to elicit detailed and insightful responses from pupils into Long John Silver’s motivation and skills as a leader. An examination of the pupils’ books in this class showed that this engagement was translated into generally accurate, detailed and engaging writing.
• Where pupils learn effectively, they say it is because they are clear about what they have to do next to improve. Staff set out their expectations clearly and pupils respond enthusiastically. Where the teaching is less effective, pupils make slower progress because they are not sufficiently clear and confident about what they are doing and are too reliant on staff to tell them what to do next.
• Teachers set regular homework in line with the school’s policy. Pupils say that they welcome this. They like the bingo card approach, where pupils can make choices about the order in which they undertake homework tasks.
• Number and calculation skills are generally taught effectively across the school. Inspectors saw pupils using number in a range of contexts that extended their confidence and understanding. As a result, pupils are generally well placed to solve complex problems and to reason mathematically. However, there is too much variability in what staff expect pupils to achieve. This is particularly the case for most-able pupils.
• Phonics is well and carefully taught. Year 1 pupils apply their knowledge of letters and sounds well to sentence-writing. Across the school, staff are building successfully on these skills to improve and develop pupils’ spelling.
• Although there is still more to be done, reading is developing well across the school. Pupils enjoy reading. They told inspectors that they had noticed a recent emphasis on reading at the school. They said that they welcomed the ways in which reading, particularly in key stage 2 classes, helps them develop their own skills as writers. They also said that they would welcome more opportunities to read with adults.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are confident, enthusiastic and happy. They are thoughtful and aware of the needs of others. They relate well to each other and to staff. They spoke to inspectors with real pleasure about how much they enjoy school and how well the staff care for them. Pupils said that they know that staff at the school would respond effectively and well if they ever had a problem.
• Pupils are proud of their school. They take care of their environment. There is no litter. The school’s displays are bright and attractive. They celebrate pupils’ work and they remind the school community of its place in and responsibility to Maltby, Britain and the wider world.
• Leaders carefully plan regular activities to help ensure that pupils are very clear about what bullying is and the various forms it can take. Pupils said that bullying is very rare and that when it does occur, it is dealt with promptly and well by staff.
• Pupils have a good understanding and knowledge of how to stay safe, including when using the internet and on the roads. Pupils were very complimentary about the work the school does to alert them to risks and keep them safe.
• Pupils who from time to time need additional care to get back on track are very well supported by the school. The school is very skilled in engaging with these pupils and discerning where best to deploy detailed focused support.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• All staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils told inspectors that the rewards system works well and has made a positive difference. As a result, there is very little disruption to learning. When it does occur, it is dealt with swiftly and consistently.
• The school’s records of behaviour are detailed. Leaders analyse these records carefully to help them discern patterns of poorer behaviour so that they can be tackled before they occur.
• As a result of leaders’ efforts, attendance is broadly in line with the national average, although it remains too low for a small minority of pupils. Records show that the school works effectively with families to improve rates of attendance and, as a result, pupils’ attendance is rising. However, there is evidence that despite the school’s efforts, some parents are still taking their children out of school during term time for family holidays.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Outcomes require improvement because pupils do not make consistently good progress across the school. This is particularly the case in key stage 2. This is because teaching has not been consistently good enough.
• National test results at the end of key stage 2 over the past three years have been disappointing. Leaders have accurately identified the reasons for this. They have moved swiftly to address weaker teaching and improve, in particular, writing. There is evidence in the pupils’ books seen during the inspection that the quality of writing is beginning to improve.
• Despite these improvements, there is still too much variability in pupils’ outcomes in the books. In particular, most-able pupils do not consistently make the progress that they should. This is because in too many classes expectations of what most-able pupils can achieve and should be achieving are not consistently high enough. They, along with other pupils, are also not being given enough opportunities to write at sufficient length to develop their ideas and skills in subjects other than English.
• The percentage of pupils meeting the required standard for the phonics screening check had been rising year on year. However, results for the checks taken in summer 2017 showed a decline in the number of pupils meeting the required standard.
• Inspection evidence shows that, across the school, the relatively small number of disadvantaged pupils make progress from their starting points that is at least similar to, and often better than, that of their peers. The more regular attendance of disadvantaged pupils is having a positive effect on their outcomes.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting points as a result of the staff’s knowledge of their needs. The SENCo makes sure that staff receive the training that they need to support these pupils.
• The proportion of children who achieve a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year has been rising over recent years and is now well above the national average at 90%.
• The development of reading is an improving strength of the school. Leaders have raised the profile of reading. They are building on the generally strong teaching of reading in Reception and Year 1. There is now a more systematic, whole-school approach. This focuses on developing the links between pleasure in reading and the improvement of pupils’ writing. Although it is too soon to make a judgement, early signs are that this approach is having a positive effect on pupils’ confidence and skills in both reading and writing.

Early years provision Outstanding

• The leadership of the early years provision is imaginative, skilled and very strong. The leader is relentless in her pursuit of excellence.
• The leader ensures that the team is very carefully and effectively trained and deployed. Staff know the children very well. They demonstrate high levels of skill and expertise. Information about children is gathered rigorously and used very effectively to inform teaching and the choice of appropriate and stimulating activities. The leader rigorously checks the accuracy of judgements about children’s progress through regular meetings within school and with other schools in the trust and the local authority.
• Children join the early years provision with variable levels of skill and social awareness. They make very good rates of progress and are extremely well prepared academically and socially for the next stage of their education. The 2017 assessments show that 90% of children by the end of Reception reached a good level of development.
• Children settle well into the early years because the transition arrangements focus on ensuring that children make a flying start when they arrive. The early years leader uses knowledge of the partner nursery settings very well. She reduces both parents’ and children’s potential anxiety about starting school through a range of imaginative and effective strategies.
• Teaching in early years is very effective. Staff prepare very carefully and focus on what each child needs to make rapid progress. Children learn in a stimulating environment which is lively, engaging and suited to the needs of the children’s development and well-being.
• Safeguarding is effective in the early years. Children feel safe and are safe. The systems, policies and checks that help ensure that children are safe are rigorously applied. The children are very well behaved and kind to each other. They learn together well, taking turns and learning the value of collaboration and sharing.
• Links with parents are very strong. Parents reported that they were very pleased with the early years provision and the way their children had settled and were learning. They also welcomed the regular updates they have on their children’s progress and the very detailed, open and easy communications that exist.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 141729 Rotherham 10042185 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy converter 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 450 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Principal Telephone number Website Email address Debra Bonewell David Horrigan 01709 812148 www.maltbylillyhallacademy.com info@maltbylillyhallacademy.com Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Maltby Lilly Hall Academy has been an academy since 1 March 2015. It is a larger-than-average primary school catering for a community that is largely White British.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils in the school is below average. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is also below average. The proportion that have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is also below average.
• There is a 56-place nursery on the school site.
• The school is part of the Maltby Learning Trust.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes. Approximately 50% of these observations were undertaken jointly with members of the leadership team.
• Inspectors scrutinised a large sample of pupils’ work in books, covering a range of subjects across the curriculum.
• Inspectors met with senior and middle leaders, a group of recently qualified teaching staff and three groups of pupils. The lead inspector met with governors, including the chair of the governing body. The lead inspector also met with the chief executive of the Maltby Learning Trust.
• Inspectors observed pupils during assembly time, during breaks and at lunchtime. They spoke with pupils informally across the two days of the inspection. Inspectors also listened to pupils read and discussed their reading with them.
• Inspectors considered the views of parents through the 44 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, 39 free-text comments and through meetings with parents at the start and end of the school days. Inspectors also took into account the views of the 73 pupils and 42 staff who responded to online surveys during the inspection.
• Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documentation, including that relating to safeguarding, pupils’ outcomes, the school’s curriculum and the work of governors and the Maltby Learning Trust.

Inspection team

Mark Evans, lead inspector Steve Shaw Marianne Young

Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector