Normanton All Saints CofE Infant School

Normanton All Saints CofE Infant School High Street, Normanton, West Yorkshire, WF6 1NR

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Children make an outstanding start to their learning through the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are curious about the world around them, eager to learn and very well prepared for Year 1.  Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, make excellent progress in reading, writing and mathematics. They leave Year 2 with standards which are above average.  The quality of teaching is outstanding. Lessons are imaginative, fast-paced and carefully matched to all pupils' learning needs. Teachers ask thoughtful questions to guide pupils and increase their understanding.  Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. They are calm, thoughtful and kind. Pupils feel safe and well cared for. They take their many responsibilities, such as school councillors or on the worship committee, very seriously and make a strong contribution to school life.  Imaginative activities promote pupils' spiritual,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

moral, social and cultural development very well. The school is aiming to increase the already very good use of modern technologies, including information and communication technology (ICT), to further deepen and enrich pupils' learning.  The headteacher provides inspiring, purposeful and sustained leadership. She receives excellent support from skilled and passionate staff leaders and a very effective governing body.  The drive and hard work of all concerned has sustained pupils' high achievement since the last inspection and the school has an excellent capacity to continue to improve.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 17 lessons including three joint observations with members of the senior leadership team. The inspectors also made a number of shorter visits to classrooms.  Discussions were held with a group of pupils, the Chair, and other members of the Governing Body, a representative of the local authority, and members of staff including senior and middle leaders. The inspector also heard pupils read in Years 1 and 2.  Inspectors took account of 53 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View).  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including data on pupils’ current and previous progress, the school development plan, performance management documentation and records relating to pupils’ behaviour and safety.

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Inspection team

Andrew Clark, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Christine Millett Additional Inspector Sally Hicks Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The large majority of pupils are from White British families.  A small proportion of pupils are from Eastern European countries and speak English as an additional language  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium has increased since the last inspection and is above average. The pupil premium is additional government funding allocated to the school for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals; those looked after by the local authority or the children of forces families.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is broadly average.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Build on the already very good use of modern technologies, including ICT, to further deepen and enrich pupils' learning.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children start school with skills and understanding which are generally below those typically expected for their age. They make excellent progress through the Early Years Foundation Stage in all areas of learning. Children concentrate very well and develop a secure understanding of the early stages of reading, writing and number. For instance, they count fluently and accurately to 20 ducks and beyond in an exciting water game and are quick to calculate the values of different coins in their real lemonade bar.  Pupils of all abilities make outstanding progress from their starting points through Years 1 and 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. Standards are above average by time they leave at the end of Year 2. Pupils' excellent achievement has been sustained since the last inspection.  Pupils enjoy reading enormously. They tackle new and unfamiliar words with confidence because they develop a very good understanding of letters and their sounds. They read out loud with

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

expression and interest from a wide range of books.  Pupils write for a very wide range of reasons including diaries, note-taking, letters, stories and myths. By Year 2, the large majority, including those with special educational needs, write with legible, joined-up handwriting and use punctuation adventurously. Their spelling is accurate and they write in paragraphs at some length.  Mathematical skills very good. Pupils' counting and calculating skills are thoroughly developed. They make very good use of them in solving problems linked to other work, such as St George fighting dragons, which are open-ended and thought-provoking. They explain the calculations they have used very well  Overall, the school is reducing the gap between pupils eligible for free school meals and the standards reached by other pupils. In 2012, they were approximately a term behind the national average overall and current work shows that they are closer still to the average.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils with a disability or special educational needs make outstanding progress overall. The robust focus through school on ensuring all pupils develop good basic literacy and numeracy skills contributes to the gains they make. Very sensitive additional support, when needed, boosts learning further. This also contributes to the good progress made by the few pupils who speak English as an additional language.  Pupils use and apply their literacy and numeracy skills extremely well across a wide range of subjects. They also achieve very well in other subjects. For example, children in Reception class hold imaginative balances on apparatus extremely well in a physical development lesson. Pupils in Year 2 answer the register and count dinner numbers in several languages with accuracy and understanding.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Reading, writing and mathematical skills are extremely well taught through direct, sharply focused lessons and very strong application in different subjects. For example, the youngest children in the Early Years Foundation Stage learn to form their initial letters in a series of activities linked by songs, rhymes, water play and construction that run through the session inside and out.  In Years 1 and 2, pupils are challenged to become quick, fluid and accurate readers and writers by fast-paced and regular lessons which build rapidly on their knowledge of letters and the sounds they make. Links between topics, such as St George, Africa and Nepal lead to extended writing of a high standard.  Teachers inspire their pupils through highly imaginative activities and engaging activities. They make very good use ICT, puppets, drama, games and quizzes. For example, in Year 1 pupils made their own reports on the life of nocturnal animals from carefully guided studies on the

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

Internet. Teachers make very good use of technology by showing pupils' work as a model for others, for example in mathematical problem-solving, and a springboard for further improvement. The school is exploring ways to further extend the use of modern technology.  Teachers use extremely accurate assessments of pupils' progress to plan lessons. They set work which challenges all groups of learners. They involve pupils fully in assessing their own success and in working rapidly towards higher levels and constantly improving their own work.  Relationships are excellent. Classrooms are very well organised to provide a calm and academic environment. Teachers make full use of high quality displays of key information and pupils' work to set examples for others to follow and also to celebrate success.  Teachers' expectations are extremely high. As a result, pupils of all abilities take great pride in their work and are very productive. This is particularly evident in the standard of neat, joined

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

handwriting that many pupils' attain.  Teachers and teaching assistants consistently ask probing and open questions to deepen pupils' understanding and develop their thinking skills. Teaching assistants are extremely well deployed to provide support and challenge where it is most needed whatever the pupils' abilities may be.  Pupils with English as an additional language benefit from adults providing appropriate bilingual support.  Teachers provide many opportunities for pupils to read aloud during the school day. They make excellent use of high quality reading books and well stocked libraries.  Teachers make outstanding use of marking to guide pupils to improve their own work. They always expect pupils to respond to the comments teachers make and to set their own targets for further improvement.  Staff make very good use of frequent homework that is carefully planned to meet pupils' individual needs. This is often linked to regular meetings and other training opportunities for

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

parents to help them support their children to make the best progress they can.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are extremely well behaved at all times. The school is calm, friendly and very orderly. They listen very attentively to teachers and their peers. They move around the school with care and consideration for others. This is very evident in busy dining hall where pupils carry their food with great care, eager to gain a place at the 'top' table.  The school works very closely with parents of pupils who have social, emotional or behavioural concerns. These pupils make excellent progress in learning to manage their own behaviour and improve their attendance. They are very well supported by the other pupils who are keen to offer all the assistance they can. Consequently, poor behaviour is very rare.  Pupils have a very good understanding of different types of bullying and are sure that very little goes on. Parents are very happy with the school's timely response to any concerns and feel their children are kept safe.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils respond extremely well to the strong moral and social guidance they receive. Excellent assemblies encourage pupils to think for themselves and take pride in all they do.  Pupils develop very positive attitudes to life and learning through the teaching of common values and expectations. On the Worship Committee, for example, they choose 'hymns which make you happy.' The school council helps organise fund raising for many local, national and international causes. They have a mature understanding of moral and ethical issues through their studies on conservation, Fair Trade and other global topics through their links with China, Nepal and the Philippines.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher's outstanding direction for improving on the school’s success is fully shared by all staff, governors and parents.  The school receives appropriate, but challenging, 'light touch' support from the local authority. The headteacher is a local lead headteacher and several members of staff take key roles in developing the quality of education in the area as well as developing links with schools abroad.  There is a continuous pursuit of high standards in every aspect of the school's work. This is very evident in the high quality resources, stimulating classrooms and exemplary policies, procedures and communication to parents and pupils.  The systems to help teachers and leaders to be even better at their jobs are very challenging and consistently applied. The headteacher, assistant headteacher and other senior staff are excellent role models and highly skilled in observing teaching and setting targets for teachers to

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The leadership and management are outstanding

aspire to.  Staff are held accountable for the progress their pupils make and are subject to fulfilling stringent criteria to achieve the next salary level.  Subjects are interwoven through central themes and supported by a very wide range of visits and other stimuli. There are sporting, artistic, worship and musical clubs and events in which all pupils may participate.  The school tackles any issues of discrimination well, it promotes equality of opportunity very successfully and this contributes to the harmony within the school community.  The school works closely with parents and keeps them fully informed through weekly diaries, newsletters and the school's website. As a result, parents rightly hold the school in high regard.  Policies for safeguarding pupils meet legal requirements and are supported by excellent record keeping.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is very well led and extremely well informed through high-quality reports

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The leadership and management are outstanding

from the headteacher and the governors’ own systematic checks on the school’s work. The governing body makes extremely good use of training opportunities and provides strong support to others. Governors make a full contribution to the life of the school through the time and skills of many of its members. They thoroughly check the quality of teaching by asking questions about detailed data which show how much progress is made by different groups of pupils. They decide whether teachers and staff should be rewarded with salary increases and review targets for the headteacher. They make sure that decisions about how to use the funds available are rational and in the best interest of the pupils.

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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 108259 Local authority Wakefield Inspection number 412630

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 295 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Sanderson Headteacher Barbara Cunningham Date of previous school inspection 16 May 2007 Telephone number 01924 302540 Fax number 01924 302540 Email address headteacher@allsaints-normanton.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, 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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