Fixby Junior and Infant School

Fixby Junior and Infant School Lightridge Road, Fixby, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD2 2HB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Overall pupils’ achievement requires improvement. Although pupils’ attainment is above average in Key Stage 1, they do not make sufficient progress between Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, particularly in mathematics. As a result many do not reach the levels of which they are capable by the end of Year 6.  Teaching requires improvement. This is because some teachers, particularly in Key Stage 2, do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve and as a result work set is too easy or too hard and does not give pupils sufficient opportunity to develop an ability to think for themselves. When marking pupils’ books teachers do not give sufficient guidance on how to improve.  In some lessons pupils’ behaviour disrupts learning. This happens particularly in lessons where teaching requires improvement.  Leadership and management require improvement. Since the previous inspection the school leadership has undergone much

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

change. Whilst leaders are diligent in their monitoring of the quality of teaching in classrooms, they do not always ensure that recommendations made are carried out by staff. As a result teaching standards in some areas are slow to improve.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children’s achievement in the Early Years Foundation Stage is excellent because the unit is led and managed very well.  Pupils’ attendance has continued to improve year on year and is above average.  The new headteacher’s changes have improved standards in Key Stage 2.  The governing body has strengthened since the last inspection and now offers better levels of support and challenge to school leaders.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 20 lessons and parts of lessons taught by 14 teachers. Joint lesson observations were undertaken with the headteacher. The inspection team also listened to pupils read from Years 1, 2 and 6 and examined the quality of work in the books of pupils from across the school.  The inspection team held meetings and had discussions with pupils, senior leaders, members of the school staff, three members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The inspection team had informal discussions with 30 parents at the start of the school day. They also took into account the views of 14 parents who made their views known through the on-line questionnaire (Parent View).  34 members of staff also made their views known to the inspection team.  The inspection team studied teachers’ curriculum planning, documents relating to the procedures to check the performance of staff and the school’s system for checking pupils’ progress as well

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Inspection team

Marian Thomas, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Andrew Morley Additional Inspector Carol Machell Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Fixby Primary school is a larger than average-sized primary school.  Pupils who attend the school come from a range of ethnic backgrounds. Approximately 50 per cent are from families of Pakistani descent and 20 per cent are of White British heritage.  A smaller than average proportion of pupils is eligible for the pupil premium (which provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those in the care of the local authority and those from service families).  Pupils across the school, with the exception of Year 2 are taught in mixed-age classes.  There is a smaller than average number of pupils with special educational needs who are supported through school action.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also lower than the national average.  The school meets the current floor standards set by the government for pupils’ attainment and

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Information about this school

progress.  The school provides a breakfast-club as part of its extended school provision. An after-school club, which is independently managed and run on the school premises will be inspected separately.  Since the previous inspection a new headteacher has been appointed and a newly appointed deputy headteacher is to join the staff in September 2013.  The school has recently received several awards and accreditations including an Investors in Pupils award and the Kirklees Inclusion Quality Standard (KIQS) award.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to be consistently good or better, particularly in Key Stage 2 by:  ensuring that work is set at the right level for pupils  increasing teachers’ expectations of how much work pupils can produce and the speed at which pupils can learn in lessons  reducing the amount of time teachers spend talking to pupils in order to increase the time pupils have to work independently  improving the quality of marking so that pupils are given consistently clear feedback on how to improve their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards of attainment in mathematics to those of English by the end of Key Stage 2 by:  ensuring that a more consistent approach is taken to the teaching of mathematics across all year groups.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the attitudes and behaviour of a small number of pupils in lessons by ensuring that the behaviour management system is applied consistently by all staff.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of senior leaders’ monitoring of teaching and learning by ensuring that recommendations made to staff about ways in which they can improve the quality of their teaching are carried out.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Overall achievement requires improvement because an insufficient number of pupils make good progress between Key Stages 1 and 2, particularly in mathematics.  Standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1 have remained broadly average and above for the last three years. However, the attainment of pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 has dipped below average during a similar period, particularly in mathematics .  Fewer Year 6 pupils than expected achieved national expectations from their starting points in mathematics. This represents progress that requires improvement and is because teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve. Hence, not enough pupils have made good progress throughout their time in Key Stage 2.  Current school data show that the majority of pupils is now making better progress than previously. This improvement is as a result of the school’s introduction of an effective training

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

programme for staff on teaching mathematics combined with a more effective approach to the tracking and monitoring of pupils’ progress. This has enabled staff to set realistic targets for pupils and to identify more quickly those who are falling behind.  However this approach is not yet consistently applied across the school and a scrutiny of pupils’ books showed that although pupils are now making better progress in mathematics it is not consistent in every classroom.  Pupils’ achievement in reading and writing in Key Stage 1 is good. This is because the school has focused on developing reading skills particularly through the effective teaching of phonics (linking sounds and letters) in the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result 10 per cent of pupils last year scored above national expectations in the Year 1 phonics screening test.  Pupils throughout the school say they enjoy reading. This could be seen clearly in the delight

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

which children in a Reception class took in excitedly retelling the tale of Handa, a little girl who lives in Africa. Older pupils read regularly to a variety of adults including parents and volunteers and overall make good progress in reading.  The majority of children start in the Reception classes with social and language skills below and sometimes well below those expected for their age. They benefit from excellent teaching as well as a range of activities provided by staff. As a result, the majority develops early reading, writing, mathematical and social skills close to the expected level and this prepares them well for Key Stage 1.  Approximately 20 per cent of pupils in the school are known to be eligible for free school meals. This group attained standards slightly above those expected nationally in the national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2012. Their achievement was in line with those of other pupils in the school

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

in English and better by approximately two terms in mathematics. Current tracking information shows attainment for this group is continuing to improve. Consequently, the gap in attainment with other groups is narrowing and reflects the school’s continued commitment to providing an equal opportunity for all pupils.  Disabled pupils or those who have special educational needs achieve in line with their peers as do pupils of Pakistani and White British heritage. Consequently, achievement for all groups requires improvement.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching in Key Stage 2 varies too much in quality and too much requires improvement. Although some good and outstanding teaching was seen, there is not enough for pupils to make consistently good progress.  Mathematics lessons often move along too slowly and fail to hold pupils’ interest. Pupils spend too much time listening while teachers talk and teachers have low expectations of what pupils can achieve. Too often questions asked of pupils do not give them sufficient opportunity to think and develop their ideas. As a result, pupils achieve less well and behaviour often dips.  In the best of lessons teachers make learning fun and enjoyable and challenging for all groups of pupils. This could be seen clearly in an English lesson in which teaching was graded as outstanding. Pupils were following the story of a young Tsunami survivor who has to make some difficult decisions when his grandparents arrive to take him home. Pupils of all abilities were

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

engaged exceptionally well with the story and displayed a real empathy with the lead character and the decisions he needed to make. Their high levels of engagement and interest led to some excellent discussion which in turn led to some very good quality written work.  The majority of teachers mark books diligently, offering pupils positive comments and encouragement. However, they do not always give pupils sufficient guidance on how to improve their work. As a result improvement is slower than it should be.  Many parents whose children attend the Reception classes feel that school gives their children a very good start. One parent’s comment summed up the feelings of many: ‘My child has enjoyed coming to this school from his first day in the Reception class.’ Children benefit from a wide range of activities both in the classroom and outdoor areas and teaching is lively and interesting.  Work set in some lessons does not always stretch pupils sufficiently well. Inspectors observed

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

this through a scrutiny of pupils’ books and also through pupils’ comments that learning in some lessons was ‘too easy and boring’.  Strong working partnerships between teachers and support staff are evident in most areas of the school. This, combined with the range of systems in place which identify pupils’ needs leads to good levels of support for those pupils with disabilities and special educational needs particularly in Key Stage 1.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Most pupils behave well in lessons and clearly enjoy learning. They also show polite and caring attitudes towards staff and visitors. However in some lessons, often where teaching requires improvement, pupils’ behaviour disrupts learning and progress slows.  Not all parents feel pupils’ behaviour is good and some of the pupils spoken to by the inspection team felt that incidents of bullying happened more frequently than they should. However, school leaders and managers are aware of this and the newly appointed headteacher has introduced a new and effective system for behaviour management which, where it is effectively used by staff, has improved behaviour significantly across the school.  The majority of pupils clearly enjoy coming to school and are proud of their achievement. Pupils show consideration and support towards each other. For example older pupils act as playground buddies to ensure that no one feels left out or lonely.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils spoken to report that they feel safe and those new to school say that they feel settled and that other pupils are welcoming.  Parents and pupils appreciate the friendly and approachable attitude of the majority of staff and the care they offer children and families.  Attendance overall is good and has remained above national expectations over the last two years. The vast majority of pupils arrives on time at school. This is because staff work in close partnership with parents to ensure that pupils are punctual.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Although overall leadership and management of the school requires improvement, the headteacher has already developed a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. For example she has already set about making clear and radical changes in order to tackle the underachievement of pupils in Key Stage 2. Working closely with the Early Years Foundation Stage leader and other staff members she has brought about significant change and improvement at a fast pace.  As a result of these changes staff are now much more skilled at monitoring and checking pupils’ rates of progress and ensuring that those who are not on track to succeed are given more effective support.  Senior leaders undertake regular monitoring of teaching and effective feedback is given to staff. However, a small number of staff have been slow to respond to advice given and this has not been followed up by the leadership team. As a result, the quality of teaching still varies across

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The leadership and management requires improvement

the school and several aspects need attention.  Nevertheless school leaders ensure that performance targets for staff link directly to pupils’ achievement and targets within the school’s development plan. Checks on the performance of staff are undertaken rigorously and the headteacher uses this information to make decisions on teachers’ pay.  The school’s curriculum meets the needs of the majority of pupils and offers many opportunities to develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. For example a residential visit undertaken by Year 6 pupils to an outward bound centre was described by one pupil as: ‘Great fun and because I was with my friends and we tried some new things I really thought I couldn’t do, I was very happy when I succeeded’ .  The governance of the school:  Since the previous inspection the school’s governing body has undergone significant change. Governors now come from a diverse range of backgrounds and bring a broad range of skills

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The leadership and management requires improvement

and experience to the governing body. As a result governors are now more actively involved in more areas of the school. For example there is now governor support in each area of the curriculum. In partnership with senior leaders they have developed an effective system for checking the performance of all staff which rewards good teaching and addresses underperformance. They take a careful and measured approach to the management of pupil premium funding which has enabled them to give support to those pupils eligible and increase their levels of attainment and progress. However, although governors have completed recent and relevant training in some areas, they lack training in analysis of school data. As a result, they are not yet able to offer school leaders sufficient challenge on some aspects of pupils’ performance. Safeguarding procedures and policies within school are undertaken to a good standard. The health and safety committee carries out regular inspections and has ensured

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The leadership and management requires improvement

that safeguarding procedures meet current 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 107634 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 411852

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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 313 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Miriam Lowbridge Headteacher Caroline Addison Date of previous school inspection 12 May 2010 Telephone number 01484 226650 Fax number 01484 226687 Email address head.fixby@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

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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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