Carlton Junior and Infant School

Carlton Junior and Infant School Inspection report

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Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 24–25 January 2012 Inspection number 377612 Unique Reference Number 107600 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 377612 Inspection dates 24–25 January 2012 Lead inspector Fiona Gowers

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 206 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Silvia Connor Headteacher Timothy Scargill Date of previous school inspection 3 December 2008 School address Off Upper Road Batley Carr Dewsbury WF13 2DQ Telephone number 01924 325265 Fax number 01924 325266 Email address office.carlton@edukirklees.net You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Introduction

Fiona Gowers Edward Price Additional inspector Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Inspectors observed teaching and learning in eight lessons taught by eight teachers, of which four were joint observations with the headteacher. They conducted several additional visits to lessons. Meetings were held with groups of pupils, members of the governing body, senior leaders and staff. Inspectors took account of the parents' and carers' responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection. They observed the school's work, and looked at data and records of achievement, behaviour and safety, the school’s monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning and school development plans. Inspectors looked at 24 questionnaires returned by parents and carers and others completed by pupils.

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Information about the school

This is an average-sized primary school. The majority of pupils are of Pakistani or of Indian heritage. The vast majority of pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is well above average , whilst the proportion that has a statement of special educational needs is above average. The school’s Key Stage 2 results in 2011 met the government floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for attainment and progress. The headteacher was appointed in Sept 2011. The school has achieved Investors in Pupils and Healthy School status. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key Findings

 This is a good school. Parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire were overwhelmingly supportive, typically commenting, ‘The school works extremely hard to bring out the best in the children.'

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Key Findings

 Positive relationships throughout school foster pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Children settle quickly into the warm nurturing environment provided in the Early Years Foundation Stage, grow in confidence and develop positive attitudes to learning. Pupils achieve well throughout the school and attainment is broadly average by the end of Year 6.

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Key Findings

 Teaching is of good quality and meets the needs of all pupils, including those at the early stages of learning English and those who are disabled and have special educational needs. Most pupils make better progress in mathematics than in English, due to improvements in the mathematics curriculum. Some outstanding teaching enables pupils to make rapid progress because they are inspired to independently apply and extend their skills through challenging learning activities. However, occasionally the pace of learning slows because pupils do not have the same opportunities to work independently or to improve their speaking and listening skills, and marking does not always show pupils what they must do to reach the next level.

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Key Findings

 Pupils behave well and have a good understanding of how to keep safe. Attendance has risen and is broadly average. New initiatives, such as the opportunity to win the gold or silver ‘wellie’, are successfully encouraging pupils to attend regularly.

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Key Findings

 The quality of leadership in and management of the school is good. Rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning by the new headteacher has led to improvements in the quality of teaching and rising attainment. The curriculum has been carefully adapted to raise pupils’ interest in the topics. This is particularly successful in motivating boys to work hard and make faster progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate pupils’ pace of learning, particularly in English, so that it is consistently good or better in all lessons by ensuring that: - pupils have more opportunities to improve their speaking and listening skills - learning activities inspire pupils to apply and extend their skills independently - marking clearly shows pupils what they need to do to reach the next level in their work.

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Achievement of pupils

Most pupils are keen to do well. They work hard in lessons, enjoy their learning and make good progress overall. Pupils make the best progress in mathematics, as a result of a more consistent approach to the teaching of mathematical reasoning and calculations. Most pupils make good progress in learning to read and write and use their good knowledge of letters and the sounds they make when reading unknown words. However, in some lessons the pace of learning slows because pupils do not have enough opportunity to talk about their learning or to improve their speaking and listening skills further. Pupils who are new to learning English and disabled pupils and those with special educational needs also make good progress, relative to their starting points, because of high quality pastoral support and well-targeted learning activities.

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Achievement of pupils

Attainment has risen to broadly average by the end of Year 6. This represents good achievement from pupils’ below average starting points. Many pupils start school with very restricted skills, particularly in language. The most marked improvement has been in mathematics at Key Stage 2 in 2011, when the proportion of pupils attaining the expected level was above the national average. Pupils’ attainments in reading at the end of Key Stage 1 and by the time they leave school have risen and are now broadly average. There is no significant gap in the attainment and progress of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals when compared to others. Through effective self-evaluation, school leaders accurately identified that some boys were not achieving as well as expected. The school’s involvement in a ‘Raising attainment of vulnerable groups’ project with the local authority has helped to accelerate rates of progress amongst boys in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The

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Achievement of pupils

school has also successfully developed the curriculum to engage boys more effectively. Inspection findings confirm that most boys are now achieving as well as the girls. As a result, the gap in the relative performance of boys and girls is closing well.

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Quality of teaching

Questionnaire responses indicate that parents and carers are rightly happy that their children are achieving well. Parents and carers typically comment that: ‘We feel that our children have had the opportunity to develop and thrive because of the input they have had from the teachers past and present at Carlton’. The quality of teaching is good overall, leading to good achievement and effectively fostering pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Most pupils respond well to teachers’ high expectations. The best lessons incorporate a variety of fast-paced activities. This approach inspires pupils to work hard, try their best and apply and extend their skills independently. For example in a Key Stage 2 lesson, pupils were so engrossed in creating ‘story maps’ with time connectives, that one pupil commented that he ‘did not even have time to take his jumper off’ because he did not want to waste any time at all! Occasionally, the pace of learning slows. Where

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Quality of teaching

teaching is only satisfactory, learning activities do not interest and engage pupils as much. Teachers talk for extended periods and so pupils do not have the same opportunities to discuss their ideas or extend their learning independently.

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Quality of teaching

The teaching of reading is improving. A more consistent approach has been adopted to improve pupils’ reading and knowledge and understanding of letters and sounds. This is helping to foster more positive attitudes to reading. A group of pupils agreed, ‘We love everything about reading!’ However, in some lessons there are not enough opportunities for pupils to consolidate and improve their speaking and listening skills and to extend their literacy skills. This occasionally restricts progress in English.

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Quality of teaching

Pupils’ work is regularly assessed and they are encouraged to consider how well they have done. Learning activities are adapted well to meet the needs of different groups of pupils. For example, topics such as ‘Space Invaders’, ‘Dinosaurs’ and ‘The Deathly Hallows’ have been introduced, which successfully motivate boys to work as hard as the girls. Most work is marked and marking highlights the positive features of a piece of work. However, marking does not always show pupils clearly enough how to improve their work further.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils say they feel safe and that behaviour in school is good. Most parents and carers agree. School records confirm behaviour is typically good and incidents of unacceptable behaviour are rare. The school has high expectations of pupils' behaviour and has successfully developed a new behaviour policy to this end. Pupils are polite and respectful to adults and to each other and most demonstrate very positive attitudes to learning. Pupils say that behaviour at lunchtimes has improved because they are provided with more structured play and sporting activities. A small minority of parents and carers, and pupils who responded to the questionnaire expressed some concerns about behaviour, safety and bullying. When inspectors spoke to pupils about this they said that bullying does occur, but it is rare and addressed quickly. Pupils like and trust their teachers and say that teachers always listen to their concerns. They enjoy a safe and welcoming start to the day in the

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

breakfast club and this contributes well to their readiness for learning.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

There has been a significant improvement in attendance. Attendance has a high profile in school and recently-developed initiatives are successfully motivating pupils to attend school regularly and avoid any unnecessary absence. As a result, attendance has risen and is broadly in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils who are persistently absent has reduced significantly because robust systems ensure pupils whose attendance declines are followed up rigorously.

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Leadership and management

Through effective self-evaluation, senior leaders, including the governing body, have accurately identified the school’s strengths and developed a clear strategic view of how to improve further. Under the guidance of the new headteacher, the revised senior leadership team have successfully harnessed the support of the very hardworking and committed staff team to this end. Monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning is leading to positive pupil outcomes, because the systems adopted are efficient and effectively identify any aspects of provision in need of improvement. These are being successfully addressed through training and continuous professional development, planned opportunities to share the best practice in school and targeted coaching programmes. As a result, pupils’ achievement has improved, attendance has risen and improvements are evident in pupils’ behaviour and the quality of teaching. The significant improvements made

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Leadership and management

since the last inspection demonstrate the school’s good capacity to improve further.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is good and helps to ensure pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school is successful in its aim to ‘celebrate diversity’. The school is a harmonious community and pupils show respect for others, including those of other faiths and cultures. A revised approach to the teaching of reading skills had been recently adopted. Rigorous monitoring is ensuring a consistent approach throughout school and that agreed procedures are adopted by all. However, it is too soon to see the full impact of these measures. Leaders and managers, including members of the governing body, ensure that the school’s arrangements for safeguarding meet current requirements and that the school takes effective action to promote equality and tackle discrimination. The school develops good partnerships with parents and carers and other agencies. Parents and carers expressed their appreciation for the growing number of workshops provided, in

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Leadership and management

particular bi-lingual workshops to help them with their children’s reading.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils' punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils' freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Carlton Junior and Infant School, Dewsbury – WF13 2DQ

Thank you for the friendly welcome you gave the team when we came to inspect your school. We enjoyed meeting you and seeing you at work. You go to a good school and you and most of your parents and carers agree.

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Inspection of Carlton Junior and Infant School, Dewsbury – WF13 2DQ

You should be very proud of yourselves because you behave well and get along with each other very well. You told us you feel safe and that there is always an adult to turn to if you feel troubled and you are confident that rare instances of bullying are swiftly dealt with. You are good at coming to school regularly and many of you told me that you are keen to win the gold or silver ‘wellie’!

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Inspection of Carlton Junior and Infant School, Dewsbury – WF13 2DQ

You make good progress because you receive good quality teaching. By the time you leave school at the end of Year 6, your attainment is broadly average in mathematics, reading and writing. Your headteacher, other staff and the governing body, know the school well and they are good at finding ways of making your school even better.

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Inspection of Carlton Junior and Infant School, Dewsbury – WF13 2DQ

Although your progress is good overall, it is not always as strong in English as in mathematics. To help you learn more quickly we have asked teachers to make sure:   you have a lot of chances to practice your speaking and listening skills  marking clearly shows you how you can do even better  you have interesting and challenging learning activities, which really get you thinking hard and working things out for yourself!

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Inspection of Carlton Junior and Infant School, Dewsbury – WF13 2DQ

Keep working hard and enjoying your school. I wish you all the very best for the future,

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Inspection of Carlton Junior and Infant School, Dewsbury – WF13 2DQ

Yours sincerely, Fiona Gowers Lead Inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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