Whitechapel Church of England Primary School

Whitechapel Church of England Primary School Whitechapel Road, Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, BD19 6HR

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Inspection dates 28 February–1 March 2013

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils feel very safe and are happy at school. They enjoy coming to school and consequently, attendance is well above average.  Pupils are very keen to learn. They are very attentive in lessons and work well together. As a result, lessons proceed without disruption and pupils make good progress.  All groups of pupils achieve equally well.  Teaching is consistently good and sometimes outstanding. Good working relationships between pupils and teachers encourage pupils to contribute in lessons. Pupils say that their lessons are fun.  The school has very strong leadership. Leaders have high ambitions for the school and lead by example. They have a clear picture of where the school is and what it needs to do to improve.  The school has well-organised and effective systems for checking on how well pupils are doing and identifying those who may need extra support.  The governing body is highly committed to the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

school and well informed by the school leaders. Governors are very supportive of the work of the school, whilst prepared to ask searching questions to check on the school’s progress.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough teaching is outstanding.  Teaching does not always fully match the different abilities of the pupils and activities in some lessons are too hard or too easy for particular groups of pupils.  Marking does not always tell pupils how they can improve their work. They are not given time to follow teachers’ advice.  Teachers do not always check on the pupils’ understanding early enough in lessons.  Leaders do not set clear enough targets for pupils’ progress in whole-school plans and when checking on teachers’ performance.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 18 lessons, of which three were joint observations with the headteacher and members of the leadership team. In addition, inspectors listened to pupils read and made a series of brief visits to look at the wider curriculum and to scrutinise pupils’ work. A specific scrutiny of the pupils’ work in English and mathematics was also carried out.  Meetings were held with two groups of pupils, members of the governing body, a representative from the local authority, a group of parents, senior leaders and other members of staff.  Inspectors took account of 58 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View), as well as two confidential letters delivered to the school. They also took account of 27 questionnaires completed by the school staff.  The inspection team observed the work of the school and looked at a wide range of documents, including information on pupils’ progress, the school’s view of its own performance , the school

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Information about this inspection

improvement plan, records of checks made on teaching, pupils’ attendance, behaviour logs and documents relating to safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

Peter Martin, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Terry Bond Additional Inspector Mary Liptrot Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Whitechapel is an above average sized primary school.  The vast majority of pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils for whom English is an additional language is very small.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is well below average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is below average and the proportion supported at school action plus or with statement of special educational needs is also below average.  This is a new school that opened in September 2011 following the merger of two First schools – St Luke’s CE First School and Moorend CE First School. In the first year the school operated on the two sites of the two merged schools and then moved to a brand new purpose built primary school building in September 2012.  This is the first academic year in which the school has had a Year 6. Consequently, there is no data regarding whether the school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the

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Information about this school

minimum expectations of attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by ensuring that:  the work for all pupils, particularly the more able and children in the Early Years Foundation Stage, is set at just the right level  marking consistently tells pupils how to improve their work  pupils are given time to respond to teachers’ marking and improve their work  teachers check on pupils’ progress at an early stage in the lessons to clear any misconceptions and adjust their plans as necessary.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make leaders’ checks on the accuracy of their plans and teachers’ work more effective by setting clear and measurable objectives relating to pupils’ progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children generally enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and knowledge which are typical for their age.  Despite being from a wide range of early years settings and this being a brand new school children have settled quickly into the Reception Year. Good planning, organisation and teaching enable them to make good progress during the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Pupils continue to make good progress in Key Stage 1. In 2012, not enough Year 2 pupils achieved the higher National Curriculum levels in reading and writing. The school has taken steps to improve reading and writing and there are signs that attainment is rising quickly.  Skilful teaching of letters and sounds (phonics) is ensuring that pupils in Key Stage 1 are able to apply them with confidence in their reading and writing.  Pupils read widely and are well supported at home. They read with fluency, expression and enjoyment.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ progress in Key Stage 2 has accelerated since the move to one site. The school’s records show that all year groups are making more rapid, and at least good, progress in both English and mathematics.  This good progress was confirmed by scrutiny of the work in pupils’ books, which shows good progress being made in all classes and that pupils were using these skills effectively in other subjects.  The school checks the progress of its pupils very thoroughly. It identifies as early as possible pupils who may be falling behind in their learning, are disabled or who have special educational needs. Additional support is then provided to help them catch up. As a result, they are now making at least the progress expected of them and a good proportion of them are making good progress.  Also because of the effective use of the additional funding provided by the government to support pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding, these pupils are making good and

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The achievement of pupils is good

in some cases outstanding progress and achieving as well as their school and national peers.  The school is not yet able to compare the attainment of pupils in Year 6 known to be eligible for free school meals with that of other pupils. This will be possible next year.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Lessons generally move on quickly and teachers consistently set high expectations of behaviour and effort.  Teachers listen to their pupils and value their contributions. They use praise well to encourage pupils so they are motivated to learn and are not afraid to try in case they get things wrong.  Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good and often outstanding. Sessions led by adults are lively, set at the right level and children learn well whatever their ability. However, the activities in which children work on their own do not always provide challenge and develop children’s learning.  In the very best teaching, exciting approaches to learning ensure that pupils are highly motivated, learn rapidly and develop high-level skills. For example in a lesson for pupils in Years 3 and 4, pupils developed their use of persuasive argument in their writing. The class teacher had set up the class as a courtroom with herself costumed and in the role of the judge. Pupils

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The quality of teaching is good

acted, for example, as jurors, witnesses as they tried the Snow Queen from ‘The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe’. Because they were so involved they made outstanding progress.  However, where teaching is less effective it does not fully cater for the different abilities of the pupils. Pupils, particularly the more able, are not set work that is hard enough.  In some lessons, teachers do not check on the progress and understanding of the pupils early enough in the lesson. They miss opportunities to correct misconceptions or adjust their teaching so that pupils who have learnt more quickly can be allowed to move on to more difficult work more quickly.  Marking, though up to date, does not consistently tell the pupils how they can improve their work. Time is not given to the pupils to respond to the teachers’ marking of their work nor to improve or correct it.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school provides a happy and safe environment where pupils feel secure and can thrive.  The pupils are very friendly and polite. They speak nicely to adults and each other. They have excellent manners and move around the school in an orderly and cheerful way.  Pupils say that they feel very safe and well cared for at school. They comment ‘Teachers are friendly and explain things.’ and ‘If you have a problem they will sort it out.’  Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are happy and said their lessons were fun. As a consequence, attendance is well above the national average. There have been no pupils excluded from the school.  The vast majority of parents are entirely happy with pupils’ behaviour and safety.  Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves safe. For example, they are fully aware of the potential dangers posed by internet use. This is because of they have received

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

effective teaching from the school.  The pupils are adamant that there is no bullying in their school. Analysis of the school’s records on behaviour confirms this.  The pupils have excellent attitudes to their learning. They are attentive and focused in lessons. They are eager to learn and are able to express their views very well.  Pupils are keen to assume roles of responsibility, such as being on the school council, Eco council or acting as play leaders. Older pupils help younger ones on the playground. They are proud of their fund-raising efforts, for example, a recent drive to support Childline when they raised a large amount of money.

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The leadership and management are good

 The merger of two school communities brought with it a range of challenges. Despite this, the school leadership has been highly successful in creating a school community where the pupils have integrated well and, in a very short time, developed a genuine sense of identity with their new school. Parents are full of praise for the headteacher.  Leaders’ high ambitions for the school are backed up by a committed staff team. Consequently, there is a real sense of direction and purpose in the school.  The progress of all pupil groups is carefully tracked. The data collected is analysed regularly and pupils who may be falling behind in their learning or are in need of additional support are identified and support planned to help them. This is ensuring that all pupils have equality of opportunity to do well.  Information, for example, about the quality of teaching and of pupils’ progress, provides leaders

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The leadership and management are good

with an accurate view of the school’s performance. It also enables the school to identify priorities for the school’s improvement. The school’s school improvement plan is comprehensive and thought out carefully. However, the targets that relate to pupils’ achievement are not precise enough to enable leaders to judge the success of their actions.  All teachers have a responsibility for leading a subject. A system has been put in place from last September to enable them to check on the quality of teaching and the progress of pupils in their subject. However, it is too soon to be able to determine the impact this has had on pupils’ learning.  The systems for managing teachers’ performance are thorough and challenging. These are helping to drive up the quality of teaching and to raise pupils’ attainment. However, the targets set for teachers to improve pupils’ progress are not clear and measurable enough. This makes it

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The leadership and management are good

harder for leaders and governors to judge teachers’ performance.  The school provides a well-planned curriculum, which gives pupils the opportunity to practise important skills such as reading, writing and numeracy. It is also enriched by visitors to the school and educational visits to places of educational interest. For example, during the inspection, Year 2 visited a medical museum as part of their project on Florence Nightingale.  There is the opportunity for the older pupils to participate in a residential trip to an outdoor adventure centre and pupils are able to learn a musical instrument and to learn French. They also learn about other cultures and faiths. There is also a good range of out-of-school clubs, which are much enjoyed by the pupils. All these contribute well to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural and social development.  The school does a great deal to involve parents. They feel well informed about what their

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The leadership and management are good

children are learning and the progress they are making.  The school meets its statutory duties for safeguarding.  The local authority normally provides light touch support for this good school but has provided additional support in its first year to support the change from first school status to that of a primary school.  The governance of the school:  Although it is a relatively new governing body, it is representative of the two communities of the previous first schools and is very committed to the new school. It has been very effective in supporting the school’s leaders in securing a smooth transition to the new school. The school leaders keep governors very well informed about pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching. Governors have a firm grip on the management of teachers’ performance. They have systems in place for rewarding good teaching and know how the school is tackling weaknesses in teaching. Governors use an extensive programme of regular meetings to hold

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The leadership and management are good

the school to account and ask probing questions. They ensure efficient management of finances. They have clear knowledge of the use of pupil premium funding and the impact it has on the progress of those pupils who are eligible to receive that funding. Focused governors are now linked to an identified subject/aspect leader. They have also all enrolled on an online governor training course to help them develop their role further.

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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 136511 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 400279

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 342 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Philip Hardill Headteacher Michelle Bouabida Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01274 335248 Fax number 01274 335249 Email address office.whitechapelprimary@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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