Warley Road Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 20 Sept 2012

Warley Road Primary School Warley Road, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX1 3TG

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Warley Road Primary is now a good school that has improved significantly since the last inspection.  School leaders and the governing body have been successful in their efforts to improve the quality of teaching. This has resulted in a rise in pupils’ achievement.  Leaders at all levels clearly recognise the school strengths and areas for improvement and have taken very decisive steps to further develop the future work of the school.  Despite the majority of children entering the Early Years Foundation Stage with their communication, personal and social skills being much lower than nationally expected, they make good progress as a result of effective provision.  Teachers in Key Stage 2 work exceptionally diligently in partnership with support staff to ensure that pupils make very good progress.  Pupils’ achievement overall is good However, the achievement of pupils in Key Stage 1 is

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

not yet quite as strong as that in Key Stage 2, and as a result, younger children do not progress quite as quickly.  Overall, pupils’ behaviour both in and out of lessons is good. Pupils are polite and friendly and have a good understanding of how to keep safe.  While the majority of parents feel the school looks after their children very well and are happy with their progress, a small number feels that communication between school and home needs to be stronger.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils in Key Stage 1 achieve less well than those in Key Stage 2 because the quality of teaching is not as good.  Communication between the school and some more difficult to reach families is not yet as good as it could be.

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Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, the inspection team observed 31 lessons or parts of lessons taught by 21 teachers. Two of the observations were undertaken jointly with senior leaders. The inspection team also listened to children from Years 1, 2 and 6 read.  The inspection team observed the work of the school and scrutinised a selection of documents, including that related to pupils’ progress, attendance and behaviour as well as the school’s safeguarding policies.  The inspection team held meetings with teachers, the school’s senior leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative from the local authority .  The inspection team took into account the views of 38 parents who either met with the inspection team, spoke on the telephone or contributed their views to the online questionnaire (Parent View).

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Inspection team

Marian Thomas, Lead inspector Additional inspector Katharine Halifax Additional inspector Anthony Buckley Additional inspector David Woodhouse Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Warley Road is a larger than average-sized primary school which serves the needs of a diverse local community.  The majority of pupils who attend are from families of Pakistani heritage, a smaller minority are from Eastern European backgrounds and a further minority are of White British origin.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action is above average as is the proportion supported at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs. There is a significant minority of pupils who have social and emotional difficulties.  A slightly higher than average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium.  The school runs a breakfast club each morning.  The school meets the current floor standards set by the government for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 in order to accelerate pupils’ progress by:  ensuring that teachers plan learning which better meets the needs of all pupils  ensuring that activities are sufficiently engaging for pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve communication between the school and pupils’ families, particularly where the needs of the family make them harder to reach.

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Inspection judgements

 Inspection findings agree with the views of parents that pupils make good progress. Their progress in reading and writing is good overall. Their progress in mathematics lagged behind that in English until recently, but due to a well-focused whole-school initiative, pupils now make equally good progress in mathematics.  Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and knowledge well below that expected for their age. Despite this, the majority quickly settle into the highly nurturing environment of the Nursery and Reception classes and make good and better progress both socially, emotionally and academically.  Pupils’ overall attainment in Key Stage 2 has improved significantly since the last inspection, particularly in mathematics. The majority of pupils currently leave Year 6 with skills and knowledge close to the national expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.  However, pupils in Key Stage 1 do not always make the same progress as in other key stages.

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Inspection judgements

This is because planned work does not always match the needs of pupils sufficiently well and activities are not always sufficiently engaging. As a result, pupils do not always learn sufficiently well and their achievement dips.  School leaders ensure that all pupils have equality of opportunity. As a result, differences in achievement between boys and girls and between different minority ethnic groups, including those of Pakistani and Eastern European origin, are remedied and all make similar progress over time.  Reading is well promoted across the school and as a result, standards are improving throughout. Phonics sessions (which show the connection between letters and the sounds they make) enable younger pupils to acquire a range of skills to help them recognise new words. The emphasis on reading continues through Key Stage 2, so by Year 6, the majority of pupils are fluent and read with good understanding. Many pupils clearly enjoy reading and they show

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Inspection judgements

a good knowledge and understanding of a range of authors and genres.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress overall and some, particularly in Key Stage 2, make accelerated progress. An example of this was observed in a highly inclusive English lesson where all groups of pupils, including those with significant levels of need, undertook equally challenging activities helped exceptionally well by support staff.  A highly effective nurture group ensures the needs of pupils with social and emotional problems are well met and as a result, these pupils grow visibly in confidence and make considerable strides in their learning.  Achievement for pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is good overall; this is because staff are exceptionally good at identifying the needs of this group and provide well for their needs.  Pupils who have a gift or talent are quickly identified and provided for through a variety of

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Inspection judgements

initiatives. A recent visit to Oxford University for parents and pupils has directly helped these pupils to broaden their horizons and future ambitions.

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Inspection judgements

 Teaching is good overall, outstanding in a small number of lessons, but less strong in Key Stage 1.  Pupils make good progress because teachers and support staff have a good knowledge of the subjects they teach and how pupils learn. In the majority of lessons, assessment is accurate and is used effectively when planning further work.  However, in a small minority of lessons, particularly in Key Stage 1, planning for learning is not as effectively undertaken as it should be and activities do not accurately match the needs of learners. When this happens progress slows.  In the best lessons learning is fun, interesting and vibrant. For example, in a Year 4 English lesson, pupils were discussing a recent news item on an incident in a Spanish village, where a painting had been altered by an elderly resident. Pupils using ‘hot seat’ techniques imaginatively recalled the story from the perspective of different people in the village

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Inspection judgements

community. Pupils’ excellent written work showed how much they had empathised and understood this topical item, much showing an understanding beyond their years.  The majority of tasks are carefully matched to pupils’ abilities enabling all to make progress, and numeracy and reading are well promoted through other subjects.  The school’s recently introduced creative curriculum is beginning to effectively link learning between subjects. Staff have a good knowledge of pupils’ backgrounds and as a result, a bespoke approach is being taken to ensure work is relevant. For example, a healthy eating initiative is currently in place alongside a fun aerobic ‘wake up shake up’ initiative in order to address the issue of childhood obesity.  School leaders work diligently to identify underachieving groups of pupils and have produced personalised learning packages to ensure that the curriculum inspires ambition in all pupils.

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Inspection judgements

 Support staff work very closely with teachers, planning learning and setting targets. As a result, barriers for learning are minimised for pupils with special educational needs and or disabilities.  Teachers are skilled in encouraging pupils to learn independently in class and at home and in most year groups, including in the Early Years Foundation Stage, homework is set regularly and boosts learning.

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Inspection judgements

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

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Inspection judgements

 The vast majority of pupils behave well both in and out of lessons. This view is endorsed by parents who spoke to the inspection team. As a result of strong relationships between adults and pupils and through the exceptional work of the nurture unit, those who have social, emotional and other needs make equal progress to their peers.  The majority of pupils attend school regularly and the school works successfully through the provision of a breakfast club and staff to support a ‘walking bus’, to ensure that pupils are punctual at the start of the school day. Leaders have taken a firm view on holidays taken during school time and as a result of constructive dialogue with parents, absences for this reason have decreased.  Pupils are proud of their achievements and clearly enjoy coming to school. A recent residential trip to Malham Cove was described by one pupil as, ‘The best time I have had and I can’t wait

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Inspection judgements

to go back’.  All pupils are courteous, caring and look out for each other. They say cases of bullying, such as name-calling, are rare and when they do occur are acted upon immediately.  Pupils across the school have a good understanding of how to keep safe and are articulate about, for example the dangers of using the internet.

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Inspection judgements

 The highly focused and visionary leadership of the headteacher and deputy headteacher has inspired staff to move learning forward. As a result of staff having relevant professional development and rigorous personal targets, both focused on the school’s priorities, the quality of pupils’ learning and their social and emotional development is going from strength to strength.  While good links have been established with many families and staff are held in high esteem by many parents, there are some for whom communicating with the school remains difficult. For example, school leaders have recently changed the timing of the school day. Despite a comprehensive consultation process, several groups of parents expressed concern to the inspection team at the changes.  Leaders are aware of the problems and are now focusing closely on developing more effective systems of communicating with harder to reach parents.

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Inspection judgements

 Effective links with a number of health and other professionals safeguard and protect all pupils, including those who are vulnerable.  Leaders are now taking a more analytical approach to managing teaching and learning. As a result, achievement in Key Stage 2 has improved significantly. This improvement has been closely monitored by the local authority who has provided regular support and challenge to the school.  Monitoring of classroom practice has improved the quality of teaching in many areas of the school, albeit not as strongly in Key Stage 1. Staff training is relevant and has good impact, for example on improving outcomes for pupils with social and emotional difficulties.  Systems for tracking the progress of individuals and groups of pupils are robust and used successfully to provide additional help for pupils who learn more slowly, or who have gaps in their learning. As a result, pupils who have identified special educational needs make good and

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Inspection judgements

often better than predicted progress.  The newly implemented creative curriculum provides pupils with memorable experiences and offers a relevant and personalised approach for learners.  Teachers use information and communication technology very effectively to engage pupils. For example, the use of linked notebook computers has increased boys’ engagement with writing across the school.  Pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well through residential visits and trips outside the locality and a well-implemented behaviour policy.  The allocation of the pupil premium funding has been used innovatively and wisely in a wide variety of ways to raise the attainment and life skills of the pupils it is designed to help.  The governance of the school  The governing body and leadership team work closely together to successfully improve outcomes for all pupils.  The in-depth knowledge and reflective practice of the highly experienced Chair of the

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Inspection judgements

Governing Body has increased the effectiveness of the governors in supporting and holding senior leaders to account.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school

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Grade Judgement Description

is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 107494 Local authority Calderdale Inspection number 400914

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3-11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 532 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Eccleston Headteacher Gill Horner Date of previous school inspection 11 January 2010 Telephone number 01422 353724 Fax number 01422 353724 Email address head@warleyroad.calderdale.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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. 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille,

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School details

please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

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

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