Girlington Primary School

Girlington Primary School Girlington Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 9NR

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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.  Teaching is good and sometimes outstanding. As a result, the overwhelming majority of pupils make at least good progress in English and outstanding progress in mathematics by the time they leave the school.  Pupils behave well. They listen well and follow the clear instructions given to them by their teachers. Pupils say they are safe and enjoy school. Attendance is above average.  An extremely thorough system for checking the progress of pupils means that senior leaders and teachers identify pupils who need additional support extremely well.  Teaching assistants are used well to support pupils’ learning both in class and in small group activities outside the classroom.  The headteacher and governors have a good understanding of how well the school is doing and what needs to be done to further improve standards for pupils.  Pupils who have hearing impairment and those with special educational needs and disabilities

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

are fully involved in the life of the school. This helps the school provide well for the personal development of all pupils. Pupils become pleasant and polite individuals who get on well together.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough teaching is outstanding.  In some lessons, the most able pupils are not always challenged sufficiently to make sure that they achieve the highest standards.  Teachers do not always provide enough time for pupils to speak about what they are reading and to write fully about their findings.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 27 lessons and 16 teachers. Two joint observations were undertaken with senior leaders. Inspectors also visited some small group sessions that supported hearing impaired pupils, those with special educational needs and disabilities and sessions that supported the most able pupils. They visited sessions where pupils were learning how to link words and sounds to improve their reading.  Inspectors spoke to three groups of pupils about their learning in lessons and their safety in school. Inspectors listened to some pupils reading.  Meetings were held with members of the governing body, school staff and a representative of the local authority. In addition, inspectors looked at the school’s review of its performance, its development plan, safeguarding information, school policies and minutes of the governing body meetings.  The inspectors analysed 26 responses to the on-line parent questionnaire (Parent View). One

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Information about this inspection

parent wrote a letter to the inspectors. Inspectors spoke to some parents at the start of the school day and spoke with a group of parents who regularly meet in school to ‘chill and chat.’  The views of 62 staff who returned questionnaires were taken into account.

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Inspection team

James McGrath, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Huda Aslam Additional Inspector Carol Machell Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is twice a much larger than average size primary school.  The proportion of girls is at the national average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in this school, children of service families and those who in the care of the local authority) is well above average.  Most pupils are from Asian backgrounds; a few are from other minority ethnic groups. The large majority of pupils speaks English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is twice the national average.  The school meets the government’ current floor targets, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school has an additionally resourced centre for 18 pupils who are deaf and hearing

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Information about this school

impaired. They mainly live in the local area. All these pupils have a statement of special educational needs and are taught alongside all other pupils for the vast majority of time. The school organises an early morning breakfast club for pupils.  The school holds an Inclusion Charter Mark and Investors in People.  There have been significant changes in teaching staff since the last inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ standards of achievement and increase the amount of outstanding teaching by:  providing more challenging work for the most able pupils and greater opportunities for them to work independently  questioning pupils in more detail, particularly the girls, so that there are more opportunities for pupils to explain fully their understanding of what they are reading  creating more opportunities for pupils to write in more detail about their learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children start school with skills that are low in comparison to those typically expected for their age. Supported by good teaching and good opportunities to choose their own activities they make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Standards in Key Stage 1 have improved over the past three years, so that pupils now reach nationally expected standards in both writing and mathematics. Improvements in reading have been slower and at the end of the key stage, pupils’ skills in reading, particularly their understanding of what they are reading, are below national expectations.  In 2012, pupils at the end of Year 6 reached much higher standards in English and in mathematics than in the previous year. Results in English and mathematics are now much closer to those expected nationally. Boys’ achievement was better than that of the girls in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils started the key stage with skills that were well below national

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The achievement of pupils is good

standards and all pupils made strong progress by the time they left Year 6. Pupils are now much better prepared for the next stage in their education than they were in the previous year.  Those pupils supported by the pupil premium made exceptional progress in both English and mathematics. They achieved standards in English that are higher than other pupils in the school and standards in mathematics the same as others in the school. Those pupils with disabilities or a statement of special educational needs, including those pupils with hearing impairments, make good progress. Pupils identified as requiring support through school action or school action plus make outstanding progress in English and mathematics. Gaps between how well these pupils are doing and similar pupils across the country are closing due to the good support they are given both in lessons and outside the classroom.  The school promotes reading very well. It provides time and support to advise parents about

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The achievement of pupils is good

how to help their children read well. The most recent screening test at the end of Year 1 showed that pupils link letters and sounds well to support their reading. Inspectors listened to pupils read and found them to be enthusiastic readers. However, some younger pupils found it more difficult to explain the meaning of what they had been reading. The best readers in Key Stage 2 fully understood what they were reading and wrote well in their ‘reading record’ about what they understood from reading parts of their books.

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The quality of teaching is good

 All teachers make it clear to pupils what they are going to learn and what has to be done during the lesson. They all use appropriate amounts of praise to motivate and encourage pupils. These skills help pupils settle to their work quickly and to make good progress with tasks. Pupils get on well with their work and support each other when they have difficulties. Occasionally, teachers take too long explaining work to the whole class and this slows the rate at which the most able pupils make progress and limits the opportunities for them to work more independently.  In the best lessons, teachers have very high expectations of what pupils can achieve; they swiftly and accurately assess pupils’ work so that activities challenge all pupils; they ensure that pupils use precise language and answer questions fully. In a science lesson, the teacher gave pupils sufficient thinking time to be able to predict what might be happening when yeast is used

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The quality of teaching is good

to make bread rise. Pupils provided high quality answers that linked well to their previous learning about gases.  Teachers’ regular marking of pupils’ work and the setting of ‘next steps’ to improve learning is good. Time is provided for pupils to respond to their targets and to develop their own ‘next steps’ to improve their learning. Pupils respond best and most frequently to correcting their work in mathematics. Most pupils do respond to improve their written work but teachers do not always check fully to ensure all pupils respond to their comments.  Teachers plan interesting activities that are well matched to pupils’ needs and abilities. Sometimes, strong links between speaking, reading and writing are not made sufficiently well across all subjects. An analysis of pupils’ books showed that they had made good progress this year but that teachers did not create sufficient opportunities for them to write more extensively

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The quality of teaching is good

about what they had learnt.  Teachers use pupils’ progress data exceptionally well. They identify groups of pupils who require extra support in specific areas of learning. These pupils can be those with hearing impairment, learning difficulties or some most-able pupils, who require their higher level reading skills to be improved. These groups are expertly taught and make excellent progress.  Parents appreciate the good teaching and the extremely positive relationships that exist between their children, teachers and support staff. The support staff provide good guidance to pupils and this ensures that pupils with hearing impairments do well and take part fully in lessons.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils follow the instructions of their teachers very well and are keen to learn. Boys are exceptionally eager to answer their teachers’ questions and provide their opinions. Girls are not as ‘brave’ and have not developed the same eagerness as the boys to answer questions as frequently or as fully.  Around the school, pupils are polite and courteous to adults and treat each other with great dignity and respect. They are proud of their school and say it is ‘fantastic’ because of all the privileges they can earn. They say they are well cared for and that their teachers and support staff ‘are kind and make learning fun.’ Some children had only been in the Early Years Foundation Stage for two days prior to the inspection and it was clear that they had settled in well with their teachers due to visiting the school previously with their parents for playgroup visits.  Pupils say they enjoy school and most pupils arrive 20 minutes early to take part in early

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

morning learning sessions for English and mathematics. Parents support these learning sessions exceptionally well. The strong links the school has developed with the community has helped to improve attendance, which has been above average for well over a year.  Pupils know their school rules exceptionally well and know the consequences if the rules are broken. They believe that behaviour is good in school and that the school’s reward systems and good teaching promote good behaviour. Behaviour is well managed and the school does not use exclusion at all in order to manage behaviour.  Pupils say they are safe. They have a good understanding of how to stay safe when using the internet. They are exceptionally confident that the school deals swiftly with any instances of bullying or misbehaviour. The school council has led assemblies about bullying and used examples of famous people who have been bullied, Kate Middleton and others, to inform all

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

pupils in school what to do if they are mistreated by anyone. Pupils enjoy their responsibilities as school councillors, class councillors and outdoor buddies for younger pupils.  Pupils, parents and staff are overwhelmingly positive about behaviour in the school. The full involvement of deaf children into all school activities provides pupils with an excellent example of equality of opportunity for all.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has a very good view of the school’s performance and has agreed with all leaders and managers what needs to be done in order to make the school more successful. She has developed a strong sense of purpose amongst all the staff and the governing body that is driving the improvements in pupils’ achievement. The headteacher has given more people responsibilities for middle leadership in order to drive forward her ambitions for the school.  There is an extremely thorough system for checking pupils’ progress. Leaders work closely with teachers to determine the extra support that is necessary to ensure that pupils reach their goals. This is supporting the improvements made in raising standards for pupils.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher have an accurate view of the quality of teaching in the school. Performance management for teachers clearly identifies the professional development

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The leadership and management are good

needs of teachers. The professional development programme for staff is strengthened by the support and training given by expert teachers for the deaf. Leaders and managers have yet to develop more outstanding teaching in the school in order to raise pupils’ achievement further.  The curriculum, including residential visits, opportunities to visit the theatre and take part in extra activities before and after school contribute well to pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Partnerships with local schools and the local madrassa are strong and are making a good contribution to pupils’ work and attitudes to school.  The local authority has provided effective support in helping the school to develop high quality systems to check pupils’ progress. It recognises the good education provided by the school and offers appropriate advice and support when needed.  The governance of the school:

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The leadership and management are good

 The governing body is well led by the Chair of the Governing Body. Governors have an accurate first-hand view of the school through regular visits and meetings with staff, pupils and parents. Governors support the headteacher in developing strong links with the local community and its leaders. Five governors have been nominated as ‘data champions’. This has given the governing body an excellent understanding of pupils’ progress, enabling them to hold the leadership team to account. They have regular financial reports and make checks on the school’s budget. They have approved the use of pupil premium funding to employ additional support staff to provide support in class and additional support for small groups of pupils, as well as financing a breakfast club. They check on how the additional funding is impacting on pupils’ progress and are well aware of the outstanding progress made by those pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding. Governors understand the relevant arrangements

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The leadership and management are good

to link pay with the quality of work that staff do. The governing body has received training for safeguarding and safer recruitment and has used this training to ensure that the school’s arrangements for safeguarding meet statutory requirements.

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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 107293 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 400900

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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 480 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Akhlak Rauf Headteacher Sue Wood Date of previous school inspection 26 May 2010 Telephone number 01274 493543 Fax number 01274 543874 Email address office@girlingtonprimary.co.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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