Mount Pleasant Primary School

Mount Pleasant Junior Infant and Nursery School Mount Street, Lockwood, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD1 3QP

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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 Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Excellent leadership in the last year and hard work from staff have greatly enhanced the quality of teaching and learning.  Clear direction from the headteacher and the governors has galvanised colleagues to make improvements at a remarkable speed  Rigorous tracking of teaching and pupils’ achievement by senior staff, and concerted action to address any issues, have led to major improvements in both.  The current good teaching throughout the school has led to rapid improvements in pupils’ progress, making great inroads into a legacy of weak achievement from the past.  Attendance has shot up in the last year to be above average.  Outstanding behaviour, particularly pupils’ extremely positive attitudes to learning, has made a major contribution to improving their achievement. They feel very safe in school.  Diverse and exciting activities in lessons, particularly opportunities to work

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

collaboratively, engage pupils’ interest and enthusiasm.  Excellent relationships between staff and pupils, and consistently high expectations of hard work and behaviour, underpin the good progress pupils make.  Outstanding relationships between pupils underpin their excellent collaborative skills in class, and their enjoyment of break-times.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Achievement is not yet outstanding. This is because there are inconsistencies in teaching, so that most is good rather than outstanding.  Weak progress in the past means that attainment is below average because gaps in pupils’ basic skills remain.  At times, some pupils have work that is too hard or too easy, and adults do not always identify this straight away. The good practice in marking pupils’ work is not consistent between classes and subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed substantial parts of 28 lessons. They also made shorter observations of the teaching of phonics (how the sounds in words are represented by different letters), and of shared provision in the Year 1 classes. Several pupils in Years 1 and 6 were heard reading.  Formal discussions were held with pupils from Years 2, 3, 5 and 6, and inspectors chatted informally with many other pupils.  Inspectors held discussions with members of staff, representatives of the governing body, and spoke to a representative of the local authority by telephone.  A variety of documentation was analysed, particularly in relation to safeguarding pupils and managing teachers’ performance. Extensive information on the progress and attainment of pupils was scrutinised. Reports from external consultants were examined.  Inspectors took note of 40 replies to the online questionnaire (Parent View) as well as results of

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Information about this inspection

the school’s own questionnaire for parents. Questionnaires from 60 staff were also examined.

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Inspection team

Steven Hill, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sue Eland Additional Inspector Barbara Martin Additional Inspector Doreen Davenport Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a very large primary school with part-time provision for 36 children of Nursery age.  The large majority of pupils are of Pakistani heritage, with the rest coming from a wide range of different ethnic groups. A high proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language, and many speak little English when they start in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported at school action is well above average. The proportion supported at school action plus, or who have statements of special educational needs, is a little below average.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be entitled to support from pupil premium funding is greater than in most schools. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, pupils whose families are in the armed services, and

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Information about this school

those children who are looked after by the local authority.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are minimum expectations set for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There have been major changes in staffing since the previous inspection. Until the appointment of the current headteacher, in May 2012, the school had had five headteachers in two years. Since then, thirteen new teachers have been appointed. These comprise almost half the teaching staff, including many of the senior leadership team.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching to be outstanding, and so make achievement outstanding, by eliminating some inconsistencies in practice. In particular, ensure that:  in all lessons, tasks given to pupils are neither too easy nor too difficult  adults always check on the ongoing progress of all groups during lessons, so that they can quickly intervene to address any misconceptions, or help those who are struggling  teachers’ written marking of pupils’ work is always precise in telling pupils exactly what they need to do to improve.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start in the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are generally well below those expected for their age. They achieve well in both the Nursery and Reception classes, but their attainment is still low when they go into Year 1 because of their low starting points.  Progress across the school was very variable until about a year ago. Too many pupils underachieved and standards at the end of Year 6 had been significantly below average for several years. Pupils’ progress has accelerated remarkably in the last year to be consistently good, and has been excellent overall in many classes since last July. A lot of lost ground has been made up, although attainment still lags behind what it should be for some pupils, particularly in older classes, because of previous weak progress.  All groups of pupils now make at least good progress, regardless of ethnic origin, home language or background. Pupils who speak English as an additional language make rapid

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The achievement of pupils is good

progress in learning to speak English, and then make good progress in all areas of learning. Relative weaknesses in the progress of boys in English, and of girls in mathematics, have been addressed very effectively by the school, and have been virtually eliminated.  The attainment of the current Year 6 is rising fast, but is still likely to be below average by the time they leave, despite excellent progress in the current year. This is because of a legacy of inadequate achievement in their earlier school career. Gaps in basic skills in literacy and numeracy remain, but improvement is rapid and pupils gain in competence to apply their skills.  Pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals have also made accelerated progress. Since last July, they have made better progress than their classmates at each key stage. Consequently, although attainment is below average the gap between their standards and that

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The achievement of pupils is good

of others has reduced. They are now about a quarter of a year behind their classmates in English and mathematics. This gap is much smaller than that seen nationally.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make the same good progress as their classmates. They receive carefully tailored extra support to meet their particular needs, and are given work at the right level of challenge.  The youngest pupils get a good start in learning to read. The scores in the national screening of pupils’ knowledge of letters and sound last year were a little above average, representing excellent progress from their starting points. Older pupils are enthusiastic readers and are now making strong progress in their skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has vastly improved over the last year. Most is now good, with a small amount requiring improvement, and an increasing proportion that is outstanding. Literacy and numeracy are now taught particularly well. This compares very favourably with the position a year ago, when an external consultant evaluated teaching. At that time, only about third of teaching was good or better, and another third was judged inadequate.  Teachers manage classes well, based on positive relationships, high expectations, and consistent routines. As a result, pupils work hard, behave extremely well and make good progress.  Teachers enthuse pupils by making lessons interesting and exciting. Pupils agree that lessons are ‘fun’. Practical activities are used well to enhance learning, and teachers actively involve pupils in lesson, particularly through the use of collaborative work and discussion. This promotes pupils’ excellent collaborative skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 A feature of many lessons is the preparation of different work for different groups, so that tasks are at the right level to be challenging but manageable by all. Occasionally, this is not done accurately enough, so that some pupils struggle with the work they are given. At other times, work is not sufficiently challenging for more-able pupils, or they have to do the same simpler tasks as everyone else before moving on to harder work.  The adults frequently check on the progress of all the pupils, so they can step in with extra help or modify the work when pupils are puzzled. They also talk to pupils, extending their thinking and challenging them to refine their work. Occasionally, particularly when the adults work with particular groups, they do not check on the progress of other pupils often enough, so that any misconceptions are not picked up quickly enough to provide timely help.  A clear policy and much support from leaders have improved the quality of teachers’ marking.

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The quality of teaching is good

Teachers mark pupils work regularly, and often make clear to them what they have done right, and how work could have been better. In the best marking, the teacher often gives extra tasks to provide more practice for pupils who have struggled, or challenges the successful with harder examples.  However, practice in marking is not consistent between classes, or between subjects in the same class. Sometimes marking is very cursory, or is too general to be really helpful to pupils in doing better next time.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are exceptionally positive about school and their learning. They are keen to do well, valuing their education and taking a pride in their successes. They work hard in class and concentrate extremely well. Even on those few occasions when work is too hard for them, they show persistence, and try their best.  Pupils’ great enjoyment of school this year is confirmed by the improvement in attendance from low levels in the previous few years, to be above average in this academic year to date.  Outstanding behaviour characterises many lessons. Concentration is often immaculate, particularly for older pupils. Pupils listen attentively and contribute their ideas very thoughtfully. They are confident in explaining their thinking because they know their ideas are valued.  Pupils have outstanding skills in working together. They discuss their work animatedly, listen to each other’s ideas, and show genuine teamwork when tackling tasks in pairs or small groups.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils feel extremely safe in school, not just because of their great confidence in the adults, but because they believe they can trust their friends to be supportive and look after them if they need help.  Excellent relationships are apparent throughout the school. Boys and girls from different backgrounds work and play together with great enjoyment. Older pupils, in particular, show a high level of responsibility, whether doing jobs around the school, or acting as ‘befrienders’ to support other pupils socially.  Pupils are very positive about behaviour and are confident that any occasional silliness by their classmates is dealt with firmly by the staff.  Pupils have a good understanding of different kinds of bullying, including cyber-bullying, and say it is extremely rare in the school. They know just what to do if such incidents should occur, and would be very confident in approaching their teachers to seek help if they or others had

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

problems.  Parents are very positive about behaviour and their children’s safety.  The school can point to notable examples of how it has helped pupils who had previously struggled to conform to accepted standards of behaviour to improve, and to go on to make good progress academically.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The new headteacher has been rigorous in focusing the efforts of staff on improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning. He has built on this priority, set out clearly by the governing body on his appointment, to lead the staff in making remarkable improvements in a short time. This has been accomplished despite major staffing changes since the previous inspection.  Backing the outstanding leadership of the headteacher, a very strong senior leadership team is increasingly well-supported by all staff in identifying and tackling issues in the areas for which they have responsibility.  Regular and accurate tracking of pupils’ progress has been used very well by the school to identify individuals and groups whose progress gave concern. Gaps in pupils’ skills caused by prior underachievement have been identified and great attention given to closing them. Teachers are held to account for the progress in their classes. They have risen well to this

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The leadership and management are outstanding

challenge, and ensure that all pupils now make at least good progress.  The recent strong progress of all groups, whatever their background, demonstrates the school’s successful commitment to ensuring equal opportunities and eliminating discrimination. This is shown particularly by the elimination of gaps in achievement between girls and boys,  Pupil premium funding has been spent very effectively on both academic and social support for eligible pupils. This has enabled them to take a full part in the life of the school, and has boosted their progress so the gap between them and their classmates is small.  The regular monitoring of teaching has been used extremely effectively to identify aspects that require improvement and to ensure that colleagues are given the support they need to get better. The school has been rigorous in insisting on improvements. Teachers have challenging targets based on their performance and the progress pupils make. Salary awards are only

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The leadership and management are outstanding

allocated when targets are achieved.  A drive for high attendance, backed by a popular system of rewards for pupils, has been extremely successful.  The school has made excellent use of a variety of external consultants to support developments, complemented well by support from the local authority.  The governance of the school:  Governance has made an excellent contribution to the school’s improvement. The initial clear strategic direction from the governing body, to focus on progress and teaching, has been complemented by strong support to professional colleagues in making changes, and by challenge to be accountable. Effective systems give governors a clear view of what is happening in school, including the use of extensive data to monitor pupils’ progress. Similarly, they have a very good understanding of the quality of teaching across the school. Governors check that teachers are only rewarded after good performance. Safeguarding is given a high

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The leadership and management are outstanding

priority, and the governing body ensure that procedures meet requirements. It manages finances very effectively, particularly the pupil premium funding.

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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 130925 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 406390

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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 579 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr Imran Sarwar Headteacher Dr Mujahid Ali Date of previous school inspection 28 June 2011 Telephone number 01484 223198 Fax number 01484 223199 Email address office.mountpleasant@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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