Scout Road Academy

Scout Road Academy Scout Road, Hebden Bridge, West Yorskhire, HX7 5JR

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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 Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Children in the Reception Year and pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 achieve well. By the end of Key Stage 2, the very large majority of pupils make at least expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics, and an above-average proportion exceed expected progress in reading and writing.  Teaching is good. Teachers assess pupils’ progress thoroughly and plan most lessons well. Pupils, whatever their stage of learning or whatever additional needs they have, are challenged by their work and are able to learn effectively.  Pupils behave well and feel safe in school. They enjoy their work and are happy to help each other. They respond well to the academy’s high expectation and positive values. As a result, their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding.  The Principal leads and manages the school effectively and is well supported by governors in driving improvement in teaching and pupils’

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

achievement. The staff are a cohesive team supporting improvements in teaching and the curriculum.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In 2012, the proportion of pupils making more than expected progress in mathematics was not high in comparison to the national average.  When Reception children and Key Stage 1 pupils are taught together, some lessons are not planned well enough to ensure all age groups are appropriately challenged by the work.  Limited outdoor facilities for Reception children hinder them from making even better progress.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed lessons taught by all of the school’s six teachers. Seven lessons in total were seen, two of which were observed jointly by the inspector and the Principal.  Meetings took place with senior leaders, staff, pupils and representatives of the governing body.  A wide range of the academy’s documentation was scrutinised, such as its arrangements for safeguarding pupils, the improvement plan, a summary of its self-evaluation, an external review of the academy’s work and data on pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The inspector listened to a small sample of pupils reading and examined the workbooks of a larger number of pupils.  Account was taken of the views of 32 parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire (Parent View), as well as the academy’s survey of parents’ views and those of staff who completed Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Alan Lemon, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The academy is much smaller than the average sized primary school.  The very large majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is well below average. (The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after by the local authority.)  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is well below average. The proportion of pupils supported through school action plus or have a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The academy meets the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Scout Road Academy converted to become an academy in September 2011. When its predecessor school, Scout Road Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue the development of the teaching of mathematics so that a higher than average proportion of pupils make more than expected progress by the end of Year 6.  Make sure that, when Reception children and Years 1 and 2 pupils learn together, work in all lessons is planned at an appropriate level to challenge the whole group.  Ensure that outdoor facilities for Reception children provide a broad range of opportunities that promote learning and play effectively.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The large majority of children starting in Reception Year do so at a stage of development which is right for their age. By the end of Reception Year, nearly all children are at the expected level of development in all areas of learning and many children are further advanced. Overall, children achieve well, making good progress especially in personal, social and emotional development, communication and language, reading, writing and numeracy. The resources for children to learn and play outdoors are not as well developed as those in the classroom, which hinders children from making even more progress.  Progress continues to be good across Key Stage 1 and by the end of Year 2 pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is above average. The good pace of progress is maintained between Years 3 and 6 and, currently, most pupils’ reading and writing skills are on track to be well above average by the end of Year 6.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2012, the very large majority of pupils made the progress expected between Key Stages 1 and 2. The proportion of pupils who made more than expected progress in reading and writing was above that seen nationally. However, the proportion of pupils who made more than expected progress in mathematics was average. The academy’s leaders are successfully driving further improvement in the teaching of mathematics, although the impact of this on raising the proportion of Year 6 pupils making more than expected progress to match that already achieved in reading and writing is yet to be demonstrated.  High expectations and good opportunities for reading lead to pupils’ enjoyment of books and the development of good reading skills. Recent reorganisation of how the youngest pupils are taught letters and the sounds they make means they are increasingly effective in reading new and more difficult words and sentences. Pupils reach a good standard in their writing by learning the use

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The achievement of pupils is good

of sophisticated language and clear expression. While this is a feature of most pupils’ writing, the handwriting and presentation of work of a very few pupils is untidy, which leads to some mistakes in spelling and punctuation.  The improvement underway in mathematics is demonstrated by children in the Reception Year developing mathematical language effectively. By using objects to ‘get some more’ and by taking some away they quickly learn a secure method of making additions and subtractions. In Year 4, pupils confidently tackle effectively multiplying decimal numbers. In Year 6, the most able pupils are tackling mathematics problems more typical of the work done in Year 7 at secondary school.  The method of tracking pupils’ progress has been refined. Increasingly, this gives leaders and teachers a sharper focus for seeing which pupils are reaching their targets and any who are falling behind. This supports all pupils having the opportunity to achieve well and ensures they

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The achievement of pupils is good

all have equality of opportunity to succeed.  As a result, pupils with disabilities and those with special educational needs make good progress from their starting points. Similarly, pupils supported through the pupil premium make good progress. Currently, in both cases, where pupils’ starting points are the same as most pupils, there is no gap in attainment. There were not enough pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in 2012 to comment on their attainment in comparision to that of others.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The academy benefits from its long-standing, experienced team of teachers whose consistently good teaching promotes pupils’ good progress. While some teaching is outstanding, there is not a high enough proportion that leads over time to overall outstanding achievement.  Teachers use their good knowledge of pupils to plan lessons effectively. Their secure understanding of teaching reading, writing and, increasingly, of mathematics means learning is effective. Progress is checked thoroughly and assessments are used well to match work to each pupil’s stage in learning. As a result, the work set in reading, writing and mathematics in every class, takes carefully into account the different stages of pupils’ development.  Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning. Their expertise in supporting pupils is well developed and they work closely with teachers on planning and deciding roles in lessons. They match teachers’ effective methods in explaining and illustrating

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The quality of teaching is good

new knowledge and question pupils in the same sharply focused way as do teachers.  Pupils value lessons and find them enjoyable. Mathematics gets a special mention from pupils, reflecting the improvements in the quality of teaching the subject. Pupils like the opportunities to work in teams in the playground or the hall, solving problems or making large-scale graphs and Venn diagrams.  Pupils also appreciate the help they are given by teachers and their assistants when they find work difficult. Teachers are quick to react when this is the case and they ensure that pupils have the support they need if they fall behind or if they are in the group whose starting points are lower than most other pupils. Extra teaching for reading and mathematics is ensuring all pupils needing additional support keep up with the others.  Teachers almost always demand high standards from pupils in terms of work and behaviour.

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The quality of teaching is good

However, it is not always so when it comes to some pupils presenting untidy written work. Much of the planning of creative activities is good across the school. However, that for groups including Reception children and pupils from Years 1 and 2 does not give enough consideration to the age range and different abilities within these groupings. Year 2 pupils, in particular, are not challenged sufficiently by what they are given to do.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 In the large majority of lessons, pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive. They enjoy all their work and most of the time they make good efforts to complete tasks. When teaching is taking place, pupils are attentive, happy to be involved and confident in giving answers and sharing thoughts. During lessons, pupils work together well and are helpful to each other.  The attendance of most pupils is above average. Very few are absent. Holidays taken in term- time account for the academy’s overall average attendance rate last year. Leaders are actively involving parents with this and more recently attendance has improved.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. They benefit enormously from the academy’s close-knit community and its promotion of positive values and beliefs. Tolerance, understanding and appreciation of others, whatever their differences in culture and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

beliefs, is a strong characteristic of pupils’ behaviour. Music and art are popular. Lively singing is a key part of assemblies and many pupils learn to play musical instruments. Art is informed by work from different cultures, such as Japanese ink drawings.  Pupils feel safe because behaviour is good around the school. Bullying rarely occurs. Pupils have a good understanding of the different forms of bullying. They understand the potential risks of the internet and speak confidently on how they look out for and manage risks.  Very occasionally in lessons, a few boys stop working and misbehave in minor ways, largely because expectations are not clear enough when a task is handed over to the class to complete independently.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and governors are driving improvement and they provide the academy with a good capacity for further improvement.  The academy’s method of keeping checks on pupils’ attainment and progress have recently been refined. This enables senior leaders and teachers to measure accurately what pupils are capable of and to make reasonable but challenging assumptions to target what each can achieve. It is too early to know the impact these improved checks have on raising achievement even higher. However, the checks are the basis of regular discussions between leaders and teachers about pupils’ progress and this is helping to develop high expectations. Pupils who fall behind are quickly spotted and those who learn more quickly are given extra challenge. An increasing number of the latter are already attaining the highest level in reading and mathematics.  These checks and the dialogue that ensues from them impact well on planning for the use of the

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The leadership and management are good

pupil premium funding for the very small group in this school for whom it is intended. Good leadership and management of provision for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs ensure they have the right support for learning.  The staff’s sharp focus on raising the achievement of all pupils makes a significant contribution to improving teaching and keeping it effective. The quality of teachers’ work is managed well. Teachers are committed to examining and improving their work and make good use of training to keep up to date with new ideas. Senior leaders evaluate teaching accurately and the objectives set for teachers are developing their practice and strengthening learning and progress.  The breadth of experiences and learning opportunities provided by the curriculum enthuse pupils about their work and activities. Provision for literacy and numeracy is well led and managed. New methods of teaching mathematics are involving pupils throughout the school and raising

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The leadership and management are good

standards. High expectations are set in art and music lessons which enable many pupils to discover and develop their interests and talents. The curriculum contributes very significantly to pupils’ outstanding spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a wide range of experience and expertise which equip them well for all of their duties. They are sharply focused on their responsibilities and well organised to support and challenge the school. Governors are well informed by leaders’ reports, regular meetings and visits to the academy. They know about the quality of teaching from the Principal’s reports and the external review of the academy and understand that teachers’ pay must reflect the achievements of pupils. They give close attention to and understand well how improvement in teaching is being managed. Governors have trained to understand better the

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The leadership and management are good

data on pupils’ attainment and progress, and they take an authoritative stance on holding leaders to account for pupils’ outcomes. This includes their specific check on the progress of pupils’ supported through the pupil premium

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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 137341 Local authority Not applicable Inspection number 412466

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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 Academy converter School category Non-maintained Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 106 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Richard Stooks Principal Anne Stamp Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01422 883327 Fax number 01422 883327 Email address admin@scoutroadacademy.org.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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