Wakefield Flanshaw Junior and Infant School

Wakefield Flanshaw Junior and Infant School Inspection report

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Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 6–7 October 2011 Inspection number 377716 Unique Reference Number 108216 Local authority Wakefield Inspection number 377716 Inspection dates 6–7 October 2011 Reporting inspector Declan McCarthy

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 370 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Leandra Smith Headteacher Jean Moyser Date of previous school inspection 16 March 2009 School address Flanshaw Road Flanshaw Wakefield WF2 0AS Telephone number 01924 303645 Fax number 01924 303646 Email address headteacher@flanshaw.wakefield.sch.uk 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 rates council children's services, and inspects services for looked after

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children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. They observed teaching and learning in 18 lessons, taught by 14 teachers. Meetings were held with staff and three members of the governing body and a telephone discussion took place with the local authority adviser. Informal discussions took place with individuals and small groups of parents and carers and a small group of pupils. Inspectors observed the school's work, and looked at the school’s documentation including tracking data, the school development plan and safeguarding policies and procedures. Samples of pupils’ work were also examined. Inspectors scrutinised questionnaires returned from staff, pupils and 66 parents and carers.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 Whether the gender gap in attainment is narrowing and whether the support provided in lessons and in intervention groups enables different groups of pupils to make the same progress as others.  Are the expectations for learning high enough and is information about pupils’ prior attainment used well enough to match tasks, teaching methods or learning resources to particular learning needs?  The impact of partnerships with other schools on pupils’ learning and the impact of the partnerships with outside professionals on pupils’ well-being.  How effectively middle leaders use the outcomes of monitoring of teaching, within their subjects, to bring about improvement.  Whether children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are making good progress from their starting points, given the school’s judgement of satisfactory outcomes.

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Information about the school

This large primary school serves the local community. Most pupils are White British. A high proportion of pupils are learning English as an additional language. Very few pupils are from refugee and asylum-seeking families. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those with a statement of special educational needs, is broadly average. A high proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals. The Early Years Foundation Stage provision consists of two Nursery classes to accommodate 51 children on a part-time basis and 50 full-time in two Reception classes.

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Information about the school

Since the previous inspection there have been significant changes to the leadership team. The former deputy headteacher has recently been appointed to the headship. A new deputy headteacher is in post and the senior leadership team has been re- organised. A new chair and vice-chair of governors are in post. 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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Main findings

Wakefield Flanshaw is a good school. Pupils make good progress and their learning is good because the quality of teaching and the curriculum are good. Pupils’ behaviour is good and pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe as a result of good care, guidance and support. Pupils who are falling behind in their learning, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language, quickly catch up, making good progress as a result of good support in lessons and intervention groups. Good links with parents and carers are reflected in the mainly very positive questionnaire returns. Typically, one wrote, ‘I am very happy that my son goes to this caring school. He looks forward to going and has made good progress in his learning and behaviour. I am very grateful to the headteacher and staff.’

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Main findings

Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make satisfactory progress overall from below average starting points. Children settle into routines quickly but their communication skills are sometimes less well developed than those in other areas of their learning and outdoor learning experiences are occasionally restricted. Pupils make good progress at Key Stage 1 and continue to do so as they move through Key Stage 2, so, by the end of Year 6, they reach broadly average standards. In lessons observed, pupils nearly always made good progress because teachers used knowledge about how well their pupils were learning to match tasks to different abilities. The use of assessment to support pupils’ learning is inconsistent. Pupils’ written work is nearly always marked with positive comments but often with insufficient guidance on the next steps for learning. Very occasionally a few pupils struggle with learning because tasks they find difficult are not broken down into

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Main findings

small, achievable steps. Target-setting for pupils in Years 5 and 6 for English is more highly developed than for mathematics and science.

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Main findings

The strong drive for raising achievement from the headteacher, with good support from senior and middle leaders, has led to good use of accurate self-evaluation. This is based on rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning and has led to rapid improvements. Nearly all aspects of the school have moved from satisfactory to good and any weaknesses in teaching have been quickly addressed. Good governance ensures that the school is held to account for its work and that statutory requirements are met. For example, they ensure that the safety and well-being of pupils are met. Taken together, these factors show that the school has a good capacity for further improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Use assessment information about pupils’ learning more consistently to raise attainment by ensuring that: - marking always informs pupils about how to improve their work and the next steps in their learning - pupils in Years 5 and 6 are given clear targets in mathematics and science to show them what National Curriculum levels they are expected to achieve - learning tasks in lessons are always broken down into smaller steps for those pupils who have difficulty in understanding a task.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve outcomes for all children in the Early Years Foundation Stage class by: - enriching the outdoor learning opportunities provided for them - ensuring observations and assessments provide a clear focus for learning to support next steps - developing children’s communication skills, through questioning to promote enquiry.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The vast majority of children arrive in the Nursery with skills below the levels expected nationally, notably in their personal, social and emotional development and in communication, language and literacy. Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics as they move through the school and achievement is good. This was seen in the broadly average attainment pupils were reaching in lessons as they focused on learning, listened carefully to their teachers and completed all tasks to the best of their ability. For example, in a writing lesson, pupils worked well together, and focused on using a range of adjectives, connectives and interesting verbs to make lively sentences. The gap between girls’ and boys’ attainment, seen in previous years, is narrowing and all groups of pupils make equally good progress. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make equally good progress,

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

as do those who are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language because they receive good support for their learning. Very occasionally a few pupils find learning too hard. Intervention groups, such as the ‘Rise and Shine’ club, enable any pupils who are falling behind in learning to catch up quickly.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils say they feel safe and can go to an adult if they need help. They are careful to adopt safe practices in school, for example, in using the internet safely and in walking along the school corridors in an orderly fashion. Pupils show a good understanding of how to stay healthy by making healthy choices and actively participating in sporting activities. This was seen in the playground where many pupils exercised with skipping ropes, danced to music or played football. They make a good contribution to the community through the active school council, as helpers around the school and in raising funds for local, national and international good causes. Pupils show respect and good appreciation for diversity and the celebration of different cultural traditions. They have good opportunities for reflection, which was seen in their thoughtful consideration of what it must have felt like when separated from your friends and in their respectful recitation of the school prayer during an

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

assembly. Pupils’ good moral and social development is demonstrated in their good behaviour which has a positive impact on learning, and in their consideration for others when working in pairs and small groups in lessons. Pupils’ broadly average attendance, good achievement and good personal development prepare them well for the next stage of their education.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning Taking into account: Pupils' attainment 1 3 The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 2 The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress The extent to which pupils feel safe 2 Pupils' behaviour 2 The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 2 The extent to which pupils develop [workplace and other skills]/[skills] that will contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Pupils' attendance 1 3 The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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How effective is the provision?

Most teaching is good. It is always at least satisfactory and sometimes it is outstanding. Clear strengths of teaching include good subject knowledge, good relationships and good management of behaviour. Teaching is usually brisk and lively and engages pupils’ interests in learning. Good teamwork with teaching assistants, who work closely with small groups of pupils to clarify any misunderstandings and challenge their learning, was seen throughout the school. There are inconsistencies in the use of assessment to support learning. Teachers usually match work to different levels of ability but very occasionally tasks do not take full account of prior learning by breaking tasks down into smaller achievable steps for those few who are struggling with learning. Marking is supportive of pupils’ efforts but does not consistently provide them with guidance on how to improve their work.

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How effective is the provision?

The curriculum is highly relevant to pupils’ learning needs and provides a strong emphasis on developing literacy and numeracy skills. The use of information and communication technology to support learning is developing well. A strong emphasis on personal, social and health education permeates the school and contributes positively to pupils’ personal development. Good partnerships with other schools and within the community have a positive impact on learning and enjoyment. The well- conceived intervention groups to support those who are not making the expected progress in literacy and numeracy ensure that pupils catch up with their learning by meeting and sometimes exceeding their targets in a relatively short period of time. Attendance is promoted well, through, for example, prize giving for 100%

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low attendance every week and the display of last week’s attendance alongside the target for attendance during the current week. Although broadly average, attendance is steadily rising. Good support is provided for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those at an early stage of learning English as an additional language as seen in the good engagement of parents and carers in the reviews of their child’s progress. Effective work with outside professional agencies ensures that pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable receive good support for their learning and well-being.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning 3 The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

The outstanding leadership of the headteacher has resulted in the formation of a strong leadership team who share the same vision of high expectations for learning and good achievement. Together, through rigorous and systematic monitoring of teaching, they have been instrumental in improving the quality of teaching from satisfactory to good and in developing a good curriculum and quality care throughout the school. Members of the governing body are frequent visitors to the school. They actively seek the views of parents and carers and hold the school to account well for its work. The welfare and safety of all pupils are promoted well, through rigorous vetting procedures, clear policies and procedures, which permeate every aspect of the school’s work, and through the many opportunities to promote safety within the curriculum. The school effectively promotes tolerance and tackles any form of discrimination effectively. It promotes equality of opportunity well as seen in the

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How effective are leadership and management?

good progress of all groups of pupils. The school promotes community cohesion well locally. Pupils are developing their understanding of, and clearly appreciate, diversity through many activities such as cultural events and the celebration of festivals. However, the school has not evaluated the impact of its action plan to develop community cohesion across the school. The school uses its resources effectively in providing good value for money by ensuring good outcomes for pupils.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for the leadership and management The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning 2 The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging a nd supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met The effectiveness of the school's engagement with parents and carers 2 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 3 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage is satisfactory. Children get off to a good start in the Nursery and settle into their routines well. The quality of teaching ranges from good to satisfactory. As a result children make satisfactory progress overall as they move through the Early Years Foundation Stage. The strong focus on developing their personal and social skills prepares children adequately for the next stage of their learning, given their below-average starting points. Adults know the children well and ensure they feel safe and secure and enjoy school. Parents and carers value this highly. Children were seen to enjoy choosing their milk and fruit for their snack and show initiative by taking care to recycle their banana skins. They learn to share and play well together. The quality of provision is satisfactory. The indoor learning environment stimulates enjoyment and curiosity

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Early Years Foundation Stage

more so than the outdoor learning environment. There is an appropriate balance of teacher-led and child-initiated learning. Children enjoyed making their spiky hedgehogs and counting their spines. They took turns in passing around their musical instruments and talked with enthusiasm about meeting the local park keeper during their trip to the local park, where they also collected leaves and saw squirrels. Assessment systems are in place but the outcomes of learning are not used consistently to plan the next steps. Satisfactory leadership is ensuring good partnerships with parents and carers that all learning and welfare requirements are met and that staff are developing as an effective team.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3 The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3 The effectiveness of leadership and management in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

Parents and carers expressed mainly positive views in their completed questionnaire returns. All parents and carers who completed the questionnaire believe their children enjoy school, that the school keeps their children safe and that they are happy that their children go to this school. There were few concerns, which related mainly to not being informed about progress and the school not taking account of suggestions and complaints. These were brought to the attention of the headteacher. Inspections findings show that the school is managed well, that pupils’ personal development is good and pupils make good progress as a result of good teaching.

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questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Wakefield Flanshaw Junior and Infant School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 66 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 370 pupils registered at the school.

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questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % My child enjoys school 43 65 22 33 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 47 71 19 29 0 0 0 0 The school informs me about my child's progress 27 41 30 45 3 5 4 6 My child is making enough progress at this school 29 44 34 52 1 2 2 3 The teaching is good at this school 33 50 30 45 0 0 2 3 The school helps me to support my child's learning 30 45 32 48 2 3 2 3 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 28 42 33 50 3 5 2 3 The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 30 45 32 48 0 0 2 3

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questionnaire

The school meets my child's particular needs 32 48 31 47 1 2 2 3 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 29 44 33 50 2 3 2 3

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questionnaire

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 24 36 34 52 6 9 2 3

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questionnaire

The school is led and managed effectively 37 56 26 39 1 2 1 2 Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 41 62 25 38 0 0 0 0

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questionnaire

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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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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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9 Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5 All schools 10 44 39 6

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above is for the period 1 September 2010 to 08 April 2011 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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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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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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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

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on 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 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. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

 The school's capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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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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WF2 0AS

Thank you for making us feel welcome when we visited your school recently. We were most impressed by your good behaviour, your kindness towards others and your positive attitude to learning. We particularly enjoyed watching you sing during assembly in the presence of your parents and carers who were very proud of you. Thank you for telling us about your school. We agree with you, that yours is a good school. You make good progress because teaching is good. You have a good understanding of how to stay safe and healthy and you make a good contribution to the community. You are well prepared for the future and you clearly enjoy school. Staff provide good care, guidance and support for you and you have a range of good opportunities to learn different and exciting things, such as in your writing lessons, which you all enjoyed. Your school is also well led and managed by the headteacher and staff. We have suggested two things to make your school even better.

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WF2 0AS

 Ensure that staff use their knowledge of how well you are learning to help do even better by always giving you work which challenges you and by showing you how to improve your learning.  Improve the learning and progress of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage by making outdoor learning more interesting and developing their communication skills.

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WF2 0AS

You can help by continuing to do your best. Thank you again for telling us about your school and best wishes for the future.

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WF2 0AS

Declan McCarthy 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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