Castleford Townville Infants' School

Castleford Townville Infants' School Poplar Avenue, Townville, Castleford, WF10 3QT

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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.  Pupils’ achievement is good and they make good progress from their very low starting points on entry to the school.  All groups achieve well, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.  Teaching is good. Relationships in lessons are good and pupils are fully involved in activities.  Pupils’ behaviour is good and this makes a strong contribution to the well-ordered school and the smooth flow of lessons. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive.  Pupils feel safe in school and are confident adults will help them if they have a problem.  Senior leaders lead the school well. Changes made since the previous inspection have been successful in improving standards and the quality of teaching.  Staff, including teaching assistants, work well together as a team.  The governing body provides a good level of challenge and support for the school.  Attendance is above average.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not always demanding enough to ensure that pupils are purposefully occupied for the whole of the lesson.  Senior leaders do not consistently check the quality of teaching.  The school could do more to strengthen links with parents.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 12 lessons or parts of lessons, of which two were joint observations with the deputy headteacher. Teachers’ planning and a range of books were scrutinised.  Meetings took place with the deputy headteacher, teachers, groups of pupils, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including the school’s data on pupil progress, and records relating to pupils’ behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  They took account of the 10 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View). The views of parents who contacted the inspectors were also considered.

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Inspection team

Christine Millett, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Jane Alexander Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Castleford Townville Infants is smaller than the average-sized infant school. The overwhelming majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is above average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also above average.  Since the previous inspection there have been a number of changes in staffing. The headteacher was not present during this inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching so that all lessons are consistently good or better by ensuring that:  teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve in lessons  all pupils are consistently challenged and lesson planning includes extension activities for those who finish quickly  teaching assistants are deployed effectively throughout the whole lesson  the rigorous monitoring of teaching continues to provide targets for improvement which are reviewed regularly.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the partnership with parents by:  developing a more informative school website  seeking parents’ views more regularly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start school with knowledge, skills and understanding well below those expected for their age. Children make good progress during their time in the Early Years Foundation Stage and have caught up by the time they move into Year 1.  In the Nursery and Reception classes, children are keen to investigate and experiment. This was particularly well illustrated in the nursery where a group of children were fascinated when using a magnifying glass to search for tiny creatures among a pile of leaves. The discussions that took place, well directed by a teaching assistant, enabled the children to make good progress in developing their communication and social skills.  The range of activities provided in the Early Years Foundation Stage gives children many opportunities to play a part in learning by themselves and taking responsibility for the equipment they use.  This good start is built upon as children move through school. Pupils’ progress is good in Years

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The achievement of pupils is good

1 and 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils are keen to read and do so regularly. Attainment in reading is currently above average by the end of Year 2.  Progress in reading has accelerated because pupils have developed good skills in linking letters to the sounds they make (phonics). Reading materials are of a good quality and pupils are well supported in their reading at home and in school.  When writing, pupils are using a good range of vocabulary to express their ideas. This was seen in a Year 2 lesson where pupils made good progress in understanding how to write an account of the Great Fire of London. They worked productively in groups talking about what they have learnt and sharing ideas.  Standards in mathematics are above average. Pupils are able to apply their calculation skills to solve mathematical problems and judge for themselves if they have been successful in their learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are well supported by other adults. Work is planned to meet their needs and additional interventions have ensured these pupils also make good progress in closing the gaps with their classmates.  The school provides effective support, through additional staffing and resources, for those known to be eligible for the pupil premium and ensures that they also make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection and this has raised pupils’ achievement.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage classes, teachers plan an appropriate balance of adult-led and child-chosen activities in a vibrant, stimulating setting. Learning takes place indoors and outdoors and effectively develops children’s understanding in all areas of learning. Teachers regularly carry out assessments to ensure activities are meeting the needs of all children.  Across the school, in the best lessons, teachers ensure pupils are actively engaged in interesting and practical tasks which give them the opportunities to discuss ideas and find out for themselves. Teachers’ questions are probing and encourage pupils to develop their ideas further.  In most lessons teachers plan and set challenging tasks. However, sometimes teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve in lessons are too low and, as a result, not enough

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The quality of teaching is good

work is planned. It is then that those pupils who finish quickly are not challenged further.  Relationships in lessons are strong and make a valuable contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Teachers use lessons to promote taking turns, sharing and being fair.  Teaching assistants provide valuable support, especially for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and those eligible for the pupil premium. For example, they play an important part in developing speech and language skills so that these pupils make good progress in reading and writing. However, there are occasions, particularly at the start and ends of lessons, when teaching assistants are not being used to best effect.  Marking and feedback, some of it oral, give pupils an understanding of what they have to do to improve their work and many are able to say what their targets are.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 This is a caring school. Relationships are respectful and pupils learn about and discuss the importance of tolerance and understanding that people are different in lessons and in assemblies.  Pupils are friendly, polite and have positive attitudes towards school and learning. They play and work well together.  Pupils have a good understanding of different kinds of behaviour that occur inside or outside the classroom. They say that bullying is rare and are confident that if it did take place teachers would sort it out quickly.  Pupils feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe, for example when crossing the road or when moving around school.  Pupils say they enjoy coming to school. Good attendance is encouraged and celebrated regularly in assemblies.

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The leadership and management are good

 School leaders, including the governing body, lead the drive for improvement. The advances made in addressing the recommendations from the previous inspection report show the school’s capacity to improve further.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher have created a strong team spirit among staff. All say that they are proud to be members of staff at the school.  Self-evaluation is accurate and feeds into the school development plan. Priorities are based on agreed areas for development and are checked by the governing body. Training for staff is in place. Staff performance management is effective because it focuses on achievement and improving teaching.  The school’s systems provide detailed information that is used to check the progress of individuals and groups of pupils. The analysis of data shows that the pupil premium funding is being used well to accelerate learning and progress.  Equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. Pupils at

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The leadership and management are good

risk of underachieving are given additional support.  Checks on the quality of teaching take place although this term this has lacked its usual rigour. Where there have been changes in classes, new and more relevant targets for improvement are not yet in place.  The interesting curriculum motivates pupils. It has been developed to create links in learning in different subject areas. It also presents good opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through visits and visitors.  Parents are welcomed into the school and receive newsletters. However, other ways in which to further develop these links, such as establishing an informative website and more regularly seeking parents’ views, have been overlooked.  The local authority recognises the school’s strengths. They provide support as and when it is needed.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is well informed about the school’s performance and how well finance

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The leadership and management are good

such as pupil premium is spent. It provides a good level of support and challenge, holding the school to account. There is a constant emphasis on improvement through the monitoring of performance and provision for staff development. The governing body ensures that statutory requirements for the safeguarding of pupils are met. What inspection judgements mean

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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 108229 Local authority Wakefield Inspection number 400971

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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 Infant School category Community Age range of pupils 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 184 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ms Alison Latham Headteacher Mrs Anna Brown Date of previous school inspection 8 March 2010 Telephone number 01977 723090 Fax number 01977 723090 Email address headteacher@townville.wakefield.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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