Bywell Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School

Bywell Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School Bendigo Road, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, WF12 7LX

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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.  Since the last inspection, achievement has improved steadily. Attainment in English and mathematics is above the national average and pupils make good progress, particularly in mathematics.  Teaching and learning has improved. It is good across the school and some teaching is outstanding.  The headteacher leads the school very effectively and is well supported by the deputy headteacher. They have shown determination in raising pupils’ achievement and improving teaching.  All staff have a clear understanding of how well the school is doing and what needs to be done to improve it further.  Governors have a good knowledge of the school. They provide good support, but also challenge it to do better.  Pupils enjoy coming to school and are keen to learn. They say they feel safe and well cared for. Behaviour is good and pupils show respect for each other and adults in the school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is good rather than outstanding. Some teaching requires improvement, and achievement in English is not quite as strong as in mathematics.  Leadership and management by senior leaders are determined and strong, but the role of some middle leaders is not as developed as it might be. Inspection report: Bywell Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School, 14–15 November 2012 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 19 lessons, including one joint observation with the headteacher. In addition, a series of short visits were made to guided reading lessons.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, members of the governing body, and with senior staff and middle leaders. A meeting was also held with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and talked to them about the type of books they read and whether they enjoy reading.  Sixteen responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) were taken into account, as well as returns from the staff questionnaire.  A number of school documents were examined, including information about pupils’ progress and school improvement plans. Work in pupils’ books and information about behaviour, attendance and safeguarding were also looked at.

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Inspection team

Robert Birtwell, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Lyn Field Additional Inspector Jennifer Firth Additional Inspector Inspection report: Bywell Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School, 14–15 November 2012 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 The school is an above average sized junior school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action is similar to that found in most schools. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  Most pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the additional pupil premium funding is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that it is always at least good and increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by:  sharing existing outstanding practice, more widely across all subjects and classes  making sure that teachers do not talk too much, always ask challenging questions and give pupils the opportunity to work things out for themselves.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that middle leaders are more consistently responsible and accountable for pupils’ achievement in their areas. Inspection report: Bywell Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School, 14–15 November 2012 4 of 9

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils join the school with above average standards in English and mathematics and make good progress through Key Stage 2. By the end of Year 6, attainment in English and mathematics is well above the national average.  All pupils make good progress in English and mathematics throughout the school. There was a slight dip in the number of Year 6 pupils making more than expected progress in English in 2012, but the school has identified the reasons for this and is taking effective action to ensure it is not repeated.  The school has robust processes to monitor the progress of different groups of pupils. These groups, including those known to be eligible for pupil premium funding, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, achieve as well as their peers and the gap in attainment is small and narrowing. This is because they receive carefully targeted, effective support and work that is well planned to meet their needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 More able pupils are challenged to make better than expected progress. For example, a group of Year 6 pupils voluntarily start school early each day so that they can receive extra teaching.  Reading is taught effectively across the school. Pupils have at least three guided reading lessons each week, and teachers make sure there are plenty of opportunities to develop pupils’ reading skills. As a result, pupils enjoy reading and most are confident and fluent readers.  Colourful displays throughout the school celebrate pupils’ work and achievements across all areas of school life. For example, a display of Year 5 pupils’ photography work was of a very high standard, with pupils analysing their photographs thoughtfully. This creates a very positive learning environment.  Most parents are rightly pleased with the progress their children are making. One parent who has two children in the school said that it was getting steadily better.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved since the last inspection and has led directly to improvements in pupils’ learning and achievement. Examples of outstanding teaching were seen in the teaching of English and mathematics. For example, in a Year 6 mathematics lesson on solving multi-step problems, accurate assessment of learning and progress by the teacher meant that activities were carefully tailored to challenge and motivate all pupils. They were encouraged to work together at a brisk pace. As a result, they were enthusiastic about their learning and made excellent progress.  Pupils say that lessons are serious but fun. They enjoy learning and try to do their best. Pupils’ books show that a lot of work is covered, and they say that marking and their mentoring files help them to know how to improve. As a result, they have a good awareness of their targets for improvement and the steps they need to take to get better.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers plan and deliver interesting lessons for the most part, with activities carefully matched to pupils’ needs and abilities and involve them fully in learning. This was particularly seen in mathematics lessons where different groups of pupils typically do different work. However, in English lessons, it was more common for pupils to be doing the same task, although teachers did expect more-able pupils to produce higher quality work.  In most lessons, teachers question pupils skilfully, and encourage them to develop or extend answers beyond the routine or simple. This means that pupils have to think more deeply and extends their learning effectively.  In the minority of weaker lessons, teachers talk too much and do not ask enough challenging questions. Pupils become too dependent on adults and are not given enough opportunity to work things out for themselves. 5 of 9

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The quality of teaching is good

 The extra support given to pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs and those who receive pupil premium funding is of a high quality. This includes extra support within classes and individual or small group teaching outside the classroom and ensures these pupils make good progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say that they feel very safe in school and are well cared for by staff. Parents agree strongly with this.  Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning. They enjoy school and are keen to do well. As a result, behaviour in lessons and around school is typically very good.  Most parents who responded to the online questionnaire (Parent View) expressed positive views about the school, although a few raised concerns about behaviour. This inspection found that the management of behaviour and the attention given to pupils’ well-being and personal development is a strength of the school. There is a strong expectation that pupils will respect and care for each other seen in all aspects of school life.  Pupils get on well with each other. They have good relationships with their teachers, are polite to adults and visitors and have a clear understanding of right and wrong. They respond well to opportunities to take on responsibility, for example, through the Bywell Buddies scheme or as

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

members of the school council.  Although pupils say that behaviour is usually good, some pupils do misbehave occasionally. School records and evidence from the inspection show that poor behaviour is rare and that when it occurs, the school deals with it sensitively and effectively.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and about different types of bullying. They say that while some pupils argue and fall out from time to time, bullying is very rare. If it occurs they know who to turn to and are very confident that the school sorts it out quickly, firmly and fairly.  Because pupils enjoy school they attend well and are punctual to lessons. One pupil said he would ‘come to school more often’ if he could. Attendance has improved and is above average. Persistent absence is low and usually linked to medical reasons.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, senior leaders and governing body know the school well and are committed to making it better still. They have accurately identified the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. There has been a strong emphasis on improving teaching and this has resulted in steadily rising attainment and achievement since the last inspection. As a result, there is a very positive atmosphere throughout the school.  There are rigorous systems and processes which provide accurate information about the quality of teaching over time. This contributes to teachers’ professional development by identifying best practice and providing opportunities to share it across all areas. The headteacher uses information about the quality of teaching when advising the governing body about salaries.  Since the previous inspection, senior leaders have been developing the role of middle leaders by ensuring that they become more responsible and accountable for their areas. However, this has

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The leadership and management are good

not yet been implemented fully or consistently and some middle leaders are not as actively involved as they might be.  The curriculum is well planned and meets pupils’ needs well. The school provides a good range of enrichment activities including sporting and cultural clubs, visits and residential trips. These are well appreciated by pupils and parents. As a result, there are many opportunities that promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development throughout the school.  The local authority provides light touch support for this good school. 6 of 9

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body has a very clear understanding of the school. Members of the governing body have undertaken appropriate training to support their role and work well in partnership with the headteacher and other leaders. Governors provide effective support for the school, but also challenge it to improve further. They have a good understanding of the allocation of pupil premium funding and monitor the impact of its support on attainment and progress. They ensure that safeguarding policies and procedures meet statutory requirements. Inspection report: Bywell Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School, 14–15 November 2012 7 of 9

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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. Inspection report: Bywell Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School, 14–15 November 2012 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 107706 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 400930

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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 Junior School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 354 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jonathon Wood Headteacher Paul Tonner Date of previous school inspection 19 May 2010 Telephone number 01924 325261 Fax number 01924 325262 Email address office.bywell@edukirklees.net 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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