Shade Primary School

Shade Primary School Knowlwood, Shade, Todmorden, West Yorkshire, OL14 7PD

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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.  Teaching is good and improving and, as a result, pupils generally make good progress in lessons and standards at the end of Key 2 are above the national average.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They are polite and friendly. They are eager to learn. They listen to each other and work well together.  Pupils enjoy school. They say their lessons are fun. They feel safe and well cared for and have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe.  The quality of relationships between all members of the school community is a real strength of the school. The school has a caring, family atmosphere that provides a secure and happy environment in which pupils can thrive.  Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school and its leadership.  All groups of pupils, no matter what their starting points, do well and make good progress throughout each year. The proportion of pupils making or exceeding the progress

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

expected of them is higher than the national average.  The school provides very well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The school leaders, staff and governors have a shared ambition for the school and a commitment and desire to continually raise standards. The headteacher strives constantly to improve the quality of teaching.  The governing body, despite most of its members being relatively new, is very knowledgeable about all aspects of the school’s work and provides informed challenge to its leaders. As a result, the school is improving.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough teaching is outstanding.  Progress is not as rapid in the lower school and not enough pupils achieve the higher levels.  Teachers’ marking is not consistent and the presentation of pupils’ work is often untidy.  The learning intention of each lesson is not always made clear to pupils or in teachers’ planning.  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 13 lessons of which one was observed jointly with the headteacher. In addition, inspectors observed pupils read and scrutinised the work in pupils’ books.  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 and a telephone conversation was conducted with the school improvement partner.  Inspectors took account of 44 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View.  The inspection team observed the work of the school and looked at a wide range of documents including information on pupils’ progress, school self-evaluation, the school-improvement plan, records of monitoring of teaching, attendance and behaviour logs and documents relating to safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

Peter Martin, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sally Hicks Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Shade Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is about the same as the national 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 that are looked after by the local authority.)  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is below average and the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below average.  The school has the following accreditations: Food for Life (2011), Quality Mark, Healthy Schools Award and Active mark 2008.  The school met the government’s floor standards in 2012, which set the minimum expectations of attainment and progress

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that all teaching is good or better by:  providing younger pupils with work that is more challenging so that a greater proportion achieve higher levels  ensuring that teachers’ marking is more consistent and that it tells pupils how they can improve their work, and also by providing them with the opportunity to act on the advice  setting clear and high expectations for the presentation of pupils’ work and helping pupils to consistently develop their letter formation and handwriting as they move through the school  ensuring that teachers’ planning clearly sets out what the pupils are intended to learn rather than just what they are going to do and that this is made clear to the pupils in all lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that whole-school targets relating to pupils’ progress in the school-improvement plan are clear and measurable and link directly to teachers’ performance targets to enable school leaders and governors to accurately and rigorously hold teachers to account.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter Nursery with skills and understanding that are broadly typical for their age and leave at the end of Key Stage 2 with standards that are above the average for pupils nationally. In 2012, the proportion of pupils who achieved the higher levels in English and mathematics was significantly higher than the national average with standards in mathematics being particularly good.  The proportion of pupils making the progress expected of them or exceeding those expectations is greater than the national average.  The school’s own assessment data shows that the large majority of pupils are progressing well in all year groups.  The school has a very well thought out system for inducting new children into its Nursery which includes, for example, home visits. Good early links are established with parents and are maintained throughout the school and this helps children to settle in quickly. This is a strength of

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The achievement of pupils is good

the school and is especially important as there are three intakes in the school year.  The Early Years Foundation Stage classes provide a secure, happy learning environment in which children make good steady progress and enter Year 1 broadly at the level expected for children of their age.  Progress in Key Stage 1 has not been as rapid as in Key Stage 2 and standards at the end of Key Stage 1 have been consistently at the national average for the past three years. However, the school’s internal assessment data shows that progress is accelerating and pupils are now making good progress in Years 1 and 2.  A rigorous system for checking on the progress of all pupils enables the school to monitor carefully the progress of pupils with special educational needs or disabilities. Through carefully planned additional support, the success of which is reviewed very regularly, these pupils make good progress and the gap between them and their fellow pupils is closing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school makes excellent use of the additional funding it receives for pupils who are known to be eligible for pupil-premium funding to provide additional support which is focused on the individual needs of the pupils. It also uses the funding to ensure that these pupils can access all the educational opportunities the school provides. As a result these pupils are fully included and making as good progress, and attaining as well, as the other pupils in the school.  Pupils read often and widely at school and at home. Parents give enthusiastic support for their children through the school’s home reading programme which also provides an excellent means of two-way communication with their teachers. As a result pupils are making good, and in some cases outstanding, progress in their reading.  At the time of the last inspection writing was identified as an area for improvement particularly in Years 1 and 2. However, current assessments show that standards in writing have much

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The achievement of pupils is good

improved and that pupils in both key stages are progressing as well in their writing as they are in other subjects.  In 2012 the proportion of pupils in Year 1 who achieved the standard in phonics (the knowledge of letters and the sounds they make) expected by the government was just above the national average. However, the school has concentrated in particular on how phonics is taught over the past year and, as a result, pupils are on track this year to be well above the national average.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The majority of the lessons observed by inspectors were of a good quality with a little that was outstanding.  Pupils say they enjoy their lessons, that they are ‘fun’, and that teachers ‘use different ways to teach you so it is never boring’. They talk with enthusiasm about lessons they have had and are going to have. For example, one child said with excitement, ‘We are going to make Saxon jewellery.’  Parents who expressed their opinions via the online survey Parent View or who spoke directly to inspectors, said that they were very happy with the quality of the teaching their children received. One parent said, ‘My child skips into school.’ and another said, ‘My children don’t want to be off school.’  Through the development of a creative curriculum the school is providing opportunities for the pupils to apply the core skills they have learnt in English and mathematics in other subjects and are enabling the pupils to understand how different subjects are linked together.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The high quality relationships within the school are a real strength. Teachers talk nicely to pupils setting a good example for pupils to copy and they respect and encourage the contributions pupils make in lessons as well as to the general life of the school.  Where the teaching was good lessons were delivered at a good pace. Teachers showed good subject knowledge and used good questioning skills to extend pupils thinking and understanding. Good planning ensured that work was set at appropriate levels of difficulty and that all pupils were stretched. Opportunities were provided for pupils to develop independence and to assess for themselves how well they had done. For example, in a lesson where pupils were making Saxon jewellery, pupils planned what they were going to make and made their own decisions about which materials and tools they needed.  Where teaching was less effective lesson tasks were not hard enough to challenge the more-able

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The quality of teaching is good

pupils. In some lessons, whilst pupils knew what activities they were going to do, it was not clear to them what it was they were going to learn. Teachers talked for too long and this slowed the progress the pupils made in the lesson.  The marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent. In the best examples of marking, comments tell pupils what they have achieved and what they need to do to improve their work. However, this is not the case in all marking and the quality varies from class to class. Also, when the next steps are explained to pupils, it is not consistently followed up and pupils are not given the time to respond to the marking and improve their work.  Pupils do not take sufficient care with the presentation of their work because teachers do not always expect them to do so. Methods of teaching handwriting vary across the school and so pupils do not always continue to develop their letter formation and handwriting as well as they

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The quality of teaching is good

might.  The Early Years Foundation Stage setting is well set out. It provides a safe and happy place where children can learn and thrive. However, some activities do not provide as much challenge as they could and not enough use is made of the outside area to improve and extend children’s understanding and development.  Phonics sessions are lively and fun and pupils are now making much better progress in their early reading and writing skills. Pupils are currently on course to reach much better standards than pupils nationally.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The pupils are polite and friendly and clearly happy at school. They speak confidently and say that they enjoy school and feel well cared for and safe.  Their attitude to learning is generally good and sometimes exemplary. They are eager to learn and behave very well in lessons. They listen to each other and work well together. Consequently, most lessons go smoothly and the progress the pupils make is good.  Pupils are keen to take on responsibilities. For example, school councillors are very enthusiastic about their work. Parents remarked how well the older pupils care for the younger ones. Pupils raise funds for a range of charities, for example their ‘Pennies for Africa’ takes place each week and supports a school in Kenya which is linked to the school.  The school manages behaviour very well both in and out of the classroom. Pupils have a good understanding of what bullying is, including for example cyber bullying. They say that bullying is

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

very rare in their school and that on the few occasions it does occur it is dealt with promptly and effectively by staff.  This school keeps a strict record of any incidents of poor behaviour. These records confirm that inappropriate behaviour is rare and that there has been a good improvement in behaviour.  The school provides a safe environment for its pupils. In partnership with parents it ensures that pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. The school curriculum includes teaching on a wide range of safety issues such as road safety, the dangers posed by the internet, and ‘stranger danger’ and provides activities such as a ‘Bikeability’ course given each year to Year 6 pupils.  The views expressed by parents on Parent View or directly to inspectors strongly confirm that parents feel that the school is a happy and safe place for their children and that the school ensures pupils are well behaved.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is similar to the national average. The school is working hard to encourage good attendance with a range of rewards and incentives. As a result, attendance is improving.  Due care and attention is given to all safeguarding considerations and it is managed efficiently.

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The leadership and management are good

 School leaders know at what stage the school is at in its development and what it needs to do to improve. Their evaluation of the school’s performance is accurate and identifies the correct priorities to bring about improvement. They are honest and accurate about the school’s strengths and weaknesses and have the determination to raise standards further.  The role of subject leaders is now being developed and they are playing an increasingly effective role in the monitoring of progress in all subjects.  The school has a very thorough and effective system for checking and tracking the progress of each individual pupil. This is used well to organise and plan additional support for pupils who need it and to evaluate the performance of the school.  The school is committed to developing all its pupils and is very inclusive. For example, as a result of the additional support provided for pupils with special educational needs or disabilities many

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The leadership and management are good

are making better progress than expected and equal to the progress of all pupils in the school.  Effective use of the additional pupil-premium funding ensures that those pupils who are entitled to it make good or outstanding progress and they are now reaching similar standards to those of other pupils in the school.  A robust system for checking on the performance of teachers, overseen by school governors, is in place. This includes the checking of planning, scrutiny of work in books and lesson observations. Teachers are given challenging targets for improvement which are reviewed regularly during the year. However, the targets relating to pupils’ progress are too general and not specific enough.  The drive to improve teaching is supported by a programme of additional training to help teachers to continually improve their skills and knowledge. Teachers say that this is helping them to develop their practice and keep up-to-date. As a result teaching is improving.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school-improvement plan focuses on the correct priorities and is highly detailed in the planned actions to bring about improvement. However, the objectives which relate to pupils’ progress are not clear and measurable enough to help school leaders and governors to check accurately on progress or the success of the actions taken.  The relationship between staff, parents and pupils is a real strength of the school. One parent described the school as having ‘a real family atmosphere’. Parents have confidence in the school and in its leadership. All of the parents who completed the Parent View census said that they would recommend the school. A class assembly attended by pupils, parents and governors was evidence of how welcome parents were made to feel and how much they feel involved with the school. The school also provides a range of workshops for parents, regular newsletters which are highly informative and formal parents’ consultation meetings twice a year. Parents are very

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The leadership and management are good

confident that they can approach the school at any time if they have concerns about their child. They are very happy with the quality of communication provided and the information they receive about their child’s progress.  The local authority provides light touch support for this good school.  Equal opportunity is promoted well and the school does not tolerate any discrimination. The statutory safeguarding requirements are fully met and the governing body and all the staff ensure that safeguarding procedures are followed rigorously.  The school provides a rich range of experiences through the school curriculum such as visitors and visits to places of educational interest that provide pupils with valuable real-life experiences, which support their learning. These experiences, together with the much improved multicultural education, the high quality assemblies and the opportunities to appreciate art and music all

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The leadership and management are good

contribute well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The governance of the school:  The governing body, which has a very experienced Chair Person, is very committed to the school. In the last year it has undergone several changes in membership and a large proportion of its members are relatively new to the school. Despite this they are extremely knowledgeable about the school and all the essentials aspect of its work such as the progress of pupils, the quality of teaching, the management of teacher performance, and the use and impact of pupil-premium funding. They have systems in place for rewarding good teaching and for tackling any weaknesses in teaching. Governors are kept very well informed by the headteacher. They meet regularly to hold the school to account with probing questions. They also attend regular training to help them to carry out their role as governors. The school

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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 107522 Local authority Calderdale Inspection number 412003

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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 215 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Steve Reay Headteacher Jan Dawson Date of previous school inspection 15 April 2010 Telephone number 01706 812913 Fax number 01706 816374 Email address admin@shade.calderdale.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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