Cavendish Primary School

Cavendish Primary School Hall Road, Eccleshill, Bradford, BD2 2DU

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Although progress and attainment are beginning to accelerate, pupils’ achievement in English and mathematics in Key Stage 2, is not yet as good as it could be.  The quality of teaching is inconsistent across the school, particularly in the relation to the challenge for more-able pupils, who, as a result, do not always make enough progress. In addition, opportunities for pupils to find things out for themselves are underdeveloped in some classes.  The school’s strategies in mathematics to develop pupils’ problem-solving skills, through the use of real-life examples, are not fully embedded. There are also not enough opportunities for pupils to practise their writing skills in all subjects of the curriculum.  The monitoring of the school’s performance in some areas is not always sharp enough to inform improvement planning closely enough.  Leaders do not always make effective use of their close links with parents to benefit pupils’

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

learning, improve their attendance and find out parents’ views of the school.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children get a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They make good progress in both their academic and personal development. Pupils’ progress and attainment across Key Stage 1 is now higher than it has been for some years.  Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning have improved markedly since the previous inspection and are now good. Pupils show pride in their school and believe, in their words, ‘We are as safe as can be!’  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. They are well mannered and take on responsibilities willingly. School councillors offer their opinions as to how the school can improve and ambassadors welcome visitors with the utmost courtesy.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher know the school well and have introduced a range of initiatives which have resulted in improvements in achievement, teaching and pupils’ personal development since the

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 22 lessons, one of which was a joint observation with a senior member of staff. Inspectors also heard pupils read in Years 2, 5 and 6.  They held meetings with two groups of pupils, including members of the school council, parents, two members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. They also had discussions with senior leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator, and staff, including the coordinators of English, mathematics and the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Inspectors took account of seven responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), and also of 24 questionnaires completed by school staff.  They observed the school at work and looked at a range of documentation, including internal and external pupils’ progress data, pupils’ workbooks, school improvement planning and the school’s procedures for gaining an accurate view of its performance. They also considered

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Information about this inspection

reports written by the local authority, minutes of governing body meetings and safeguarding and child protection documentation.

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Inspection team

James Kidd, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Peter Evea Additional Inspector Sonya Williamson Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is much larger than the average-sized primary school and numbers of pupils on roll have increased since the previous inspection. There have also been significant changes in staffing over the past two years.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or looked after by the local authority, and pupils from service families is nearly twice the national average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic heritages is below average and there are few pupils with English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is below average, as is the proportion of pupils at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.

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Information about this school

 An above average number of pupils joins or leaves the school other than at the usual times.  Cavendish Primary is an Investor in Pupils, a nationally-accredited Healthy School and holds the Drugs Prevention Initiative Charter Award.  ‘Oopsie Daisies’, a before and after-school club, shares the school site. It is not administered by the school’s governing body and, therefore, receives a separate inspection. The report is available on the Ofsted website.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to increase the rates of progress of all pupils by:  making sure the challenge for more-able pupils is consistently good across the school and enables them to reach the standards of which they capable  providing more opportunities for pupils to develop strategies for good writing, for example, by giving them more writing activities in all the subjects they study  improving standards in mathematics by providing pupils with more problem-solving activities linked to real-life situations  ensuring pupils have sufficient opportunities to find things out for themselves  extending across the school the sharing of good and exemplary practice in the classroom.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Sharpen the monitoring of performance in the Early Years Foundation Stage and for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs to inform more focused planning for improvement  Make better use of the good links with parents to enable them better to support their children’s learning at home, to improve attendance further and to gain a greater understanding of parents’ views of how well the school is doing.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Most children start school with skills which are significantly below those typically expected for their age. They make good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes and reach below average standards by the time they enter Year 1.  Good progress continues in Key Stage 1 and pupils reach broadly average standards by the end of Year 2. Progress across Key Stage 2 has been disappointing since the previous inspection but this possible underachievement has now been halted and attainment is broadly average by the time pupils leave the school. Progress in Years 3 to 6 is beginning to accelerate but still requires improvement. More pupils now make the progress expected of them, but, as a result of inconsistent challenge in the classroom, more-able pupils do not always achieve as well as they could. The progress of pupils in the current Year 5 is particularly impressive and some pupils are making good progress in their studies.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Attainment and progress across Key Stage 2 in both English and mathematics have been variable in recent years. Pupils’ skills in writing and in problem-solving in mathematics are the least impressive aspects of their attainment. However, pupils read every day and their skills in this subject are improving at a faster rate. They generally pronounce increasingly difficult words accurately and have a good understanding of what they are reading. They say they enjoy reading and are more than willing to read aloud to visitors, often doing so with real expression.  As a result of good support, often on a one-to-one basis, from teaching assistants, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make the same progress as their peers. On occasions, their progress is good, for example, when pupils in Year 2 acted out the ‘Goldilocks’ story and when pupils in Year 5 defined and used grammatical terms with accuracy.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 There is effective use of pupil premium funding and close checks made on the progress of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority and these pupils do as well as other pupils in school.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching requires improvement overall, but there are examples of good and outstanding practice. Staff at all levels of experience recognise the close link between teaching and pupils’ achievement and speak highly of the overriding emphasis placed by senior leaders since the previous on improving classroom practice. Leaders are now looking to extend the sharing of good and exemplary practice across all years.  There are warm relationships between pupils and between pupils and the adults who work with them. Pupils are generally enjoy their lessons and want to learn. For example, in a Year 6 English lesson, where teaching was judged to be outstanding, pupils were clear how to make progress and checked how well they were doing regularly. They were independent and used resources, the dictionary and thesaurus, for example, when they were unsure of which words to use in their newspaper report. Across the school, however, such independence in learning is inconsistent and

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

pupils do not always have enough opportunities to find things out for themselves.  Pupils enjoy writing, but teachers do not provide enough opportunities for them to practise and reinforce their writing skills in all the subjects. Although improving, pupils’ skills in problem-solving lag behind their other skills in mathematics. They are not given enough problems to solve that link closely to their experiences and, therefore, to real-life situations.  There is strong and sensitive support from teaching assistants for those pupils who often find the work difficult. Work is set at the correct level and these pupils are fully involved in all the activities in lessons. The work set for the more able pupils is not always hard enough and this lack of challenge means they do not always reach the higher levels.  The use of information about how well pupils are doing has improved markedly since the previous

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

inspection and the school now has an accurate view of the progress made by individuals and groups of pupils. Marking is good and pupils receive detailed advice on how they can improve their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The introduction of ‘smiley’ rewards, which pupils are very keen to get, and a more positive approach to encouraging pupils to behave well have led to pupils being more interested in lessons and enjoying the activities. They also benefit from a more varied curriculum and a wide range of after-school clubs and sports activities, including a residential visit for pupils in Year 6. As a result of these successful initiatives, pupils now behave well in lessons and around school and are courteous and well-mannered to visitors.  Attendance has improved too and is now approaching the national average. The school recognises that there is more to be done here, particularly in working more closely with parents to make sure they understand the effect of absence on pupils’ education.  All groups of pupils, including those whose circumstances put them at risk are proud of their school and feel safe within its walls. They value the ‘nurture group’ and say that filling in ‘feeling cards’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

helps them come to terms with their emotions.’ They comment, ‘Everyone is together here and the adults talk to us and listen to us if we have any problems.’ They are also aware of ‘stranger danger’, of what to do in the event of a fire, and of how to keep themselves safe outside school.  Pupils say that bullying does exist but that it does not happen very often and that when it does it is dealt with quickly and stopped by the staff. Indeed, they have a good understanding of different kinds of bullying, including that based on prejudice.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. School councillors always have ideas for how the school can improve and have opportunities to put these into practice. Visitors to the school are impressed when they are welcomed into classrooms by the ‘ambassadors’, who also tell them what they are doing during lessons. Pupils have a good

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

understanding of the importance of respect for their classmates and for the adults who work with them and say, ‘We are one big team here.’ They make suggestions about which charities they should support and have a good understanding of cultures and religions which are different to their own.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Although teaching and achievement have improved, weaknesses over time in both these areas remain. The well-informed headteacher and deputy headteacher have, however, introduced a range of well-founded initiatives to promote ongoing improvement in all areas of school life and the ‘smiley’ reward system has done much to improve pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning. The school is capable of continuing to make improvements.  Staff speak highly of the changes the school has made and how it has improved over the past two years. Morale is high. In their words, ‘The school has been transformed since 2011.’  The school has an accurate understanding of, and is honest about, its successes and its areas for further development. It is aware that, on occasions, the checking of how well it is doing, in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in the special educational needs area, for example, is not always

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The leadership and management requires improvement

as sharp as it could be and does not, therefore, inform plans for improvement closely enough.  Improved checks on pupils’ progress provide staff with a clearer picture of progress. More use is being made of the information to check and adjust work when is becomes clear a pupil is starting to fall behind. Attention is now being focussed on the challenge for more-able pupils and progress in writing.  The leadership and management of teaching are now much stronger and teaching is much better albeit with inconsistencies in quality. Senior and middle leaders are actively involved in checking on the quality of teaching and in providing training to improve the skills of teachers. Staff value the feedback they receive on their work and the opportunities they have to observe other teachers in the classroom. The sharing of good and outstanding practice is, however, not as extensive as it could be. Performance management arrangements are secure and are linked closely to salary

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The leadership and management requires improvement

progression. Staff have many opportunities to attend courses to improve their classroom practice.  The school has good relationships with parents but does not always use this to best advantage, in relation to improving attendance rapidly enough, giving parents advice on how they can support their children’s learning at home and on gaining greater knowledge of what parents think about the school.  Safeguarding and child protection policies and practice meet current requirements and the school rejects all forms of discrimination. It promotes equality of opportunity soundly.  The local authority provides effective support for the school, in relation to improving the quality of teaching, in accelerating pupils’ progress in English and mathematics and in developing the leadership skills of staff.  The governance of the school:  Members of the governing body support the school effectively and have a sound understanding

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The leadership and management requires improvement

of its strengths and areas for development. They are actively involved in gauging the quality and impact of the work of all staff in relation to the targets set for them and also to the national Teacher Standards. The governing body oversees the arrangements for the spending of pupil premium funding and is aware of the impact of this spending on pupils’ achievement. Although members question the leadership, this challenge is not always as consistently rigorous as it could be.

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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 is

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Grade Judgement Description

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 107243 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 405090

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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 408 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Dawn Thompson Headteacher Susan Tuff Date of previous school inspection 20 October 2010 Telephone number 01274 772175 Fax number 01274 772175 Email address office@cavendish.bradford.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, please

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School details

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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