Emley First School

Emley First School School Lane, Emley, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD8 9RT

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Pupils make rapid progress through the school and learn exceptionally well. As a result, their attainment by the time they leave school at the end of Year 5 is above that expected in English and mathematics. This represents outstanding achievement from their starting points which are generally below those expected for their age.  Pupils develop and apply a wide range of skills to great effect. They are exceptionally well prepared for their next stage of education.  Much of the teaching is outstanding and it is never less than consistently good. Teachers are very aware of pupils’ capabilities and of their prior learning and understanding. They plan very effectively to build upon these.  Staff show a great deal of respect and courtesy for pupils and others.  Pupils behave extremely well, both in and around school. They are very polite, well mannered and very respectful of others.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

Pupils show a great deal of enjoyment in coming to school and this is reflected in their above-average attendance.  Pupils say they feel very safe in school and on educational visits because staff take very good care of them. They have an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe.  The curriculum provides memorable experiences and rich opportunities for high quality learning. It promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in an outstanding way.  The headteacher is an exceptional leader who leads by example and has high expectations of staff and pupils.  Leaders and the governing body have worked extremely well together to develop further the quality of teaching and to maintain high levels of achievement since the previous inspection.  There are excellent procedures for checking how well the school is doing. These enable leaders and governors to have a thorough

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

understanding of the school’s strengths and of areas that require development. They know that their next steps are to broaden the very effective marking seen in English and mathematics to other curriculum subjects.  Actions taken to bring about improvement are assessed regularly and very carefully to see if they are proving successful.  The governing body is very supportive and highly ambitious for the school. It is extremely influential in helping it to move forward.  The ability of leaders to carry on making improvements is excellent.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 10 lessons or parts of lessons taught by five teachers. Five of these observations were joint ones with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with the Chair and other members of the governing body, parents, staff, pupils and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector observed the school's work, and looked at school documentation, including that relating to safeguarding, records of meetings of the governing body, assessment information and curriculum planning. Work in pupils’ books and displays around the school were examined. The inspector listened to groups of pupils read.  Account was taken of the 27 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in carrying out the inspection.

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Inspection team

Melvyn Hemmings, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Emley is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Pupils move on to their next school at the end of Year 5.  There is a below-average proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium. (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.)  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is broadly average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The school has gained a number of national awards, including Artsmark Gold, and holds Healthy School status.

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What does the school need to do to improve further

 Broaden the very effective marking in English and mathematics to other subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils’ achievement from their skill level on starting school, which is generally below that expected for their age, is outstanding. They make rapid and sustained progress through each year group and their attainment in English and mathematics is above that expected by the end of Year 5.  Attainment in reading is above average at the end of Key Stage 1 and above that expected by the time pupils leave school. Pupils read widely and talk enthusiastically about their favourite books and authors. They have a thorough understanding of how to use their knowledge of the sounds that letters make to read unfamiliar words.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children show a great deal of interest and enjoyment in all of their activities. This was particularly evident when they were using a variety of observational equipment to investigate mini-beasts in the school’s woodland area. Children work well together,

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

taking turns and sharing resources fairly.  In Years 1 to 5, pupils show resilience when faced with difficulty. They are enthusiastic and collaborate well in pairs and small groups. Pupils concentrate for lengthy periods and respect the views of others, even when different to their own.  Pupils have very effective speaking and listening skills which contribute to the progress they make. They write creatively and with accurate use of grammar, punctuation and spelling. Pupils take pride in the way they present their work and their handwriting is neat and correctly formed.  In mathematics, pupils have very well-developed calculation skills, including quick mental recall, across the four rules of number. They use these extremely effectively to solve number problems in a variety of real-life situations.  The school provides very effective support for disabled pupils and those with special educational

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

needs. They make the same outstanding progress as other pupils because their specific needs are met extremely well.  The funding for pupils eligible for the pupil premium has been used very effectively to improve their literacy and numeracy skills. It has enabled the school to provide individual and small- groups support to successfully narrow the achievement gap between pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and other pupils in school. Consequently, their attainment in English and mathematics is similar to that of pupils not supported by the pupil premium. This shows the school’s successful commitment to equality of opportunity.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage, adults provide rich and imaginative experiences that meet the needs of children exceedingly well. Assessment through high-quality observations is rigorous, and the information gained is used very effectively to guide planning. Staff are deployed extremely well to support children’s learning and welfare.  In Years 1 to 5, teaching is highly effective in inspiring pupils and ensuring that they learn exceptionally well. Teachers use questioning very well to find out what pupils know and to deepen their understanding. Other adults’ support is extremely well focused and makes a significant contribution to the quality of learning.  Teachers are skilled in checking pupils’ understanding throughout lessons so they can adapt activities, if necessary, to improve learning. Excellent use is made of resources, including new technology, to support learning. As a result of very strong assessment procedures, teachers plan

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

very effectively to meet the needs of all pupils.  Marking is used very effectively in English and mathematics to show pupils their next steps in learning. As a result, pupils have a very clear understanding of how to make improvements. Teachers do not always use marking as precisely in other subjects to help pupils do better.  There is a high proportion of outstanding teaching that is characterised by pupils being given highly motivating activities that are planned very effectively to meet their individual needs. One of many examples was in a mathematics lesson for pupils in Year 3, in which they made excellent progress in learning how to find fractions of numbers.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted in an outstanding manner. Teachers encourage pupils to think about the wonders of the world around them and to reflect upon the way that their actions affect others. Pupils are given many opportunities to work

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

collaboratively and to find out about cultures different to their own.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary and they encourage each other to conduct themselves well. Lessons run very smoothly with minimal disruption to learning. Pupils are very considerate and respectful towards others.  Parents, staff and pupils say that standards of behaviour are high and have been so over time. The school’s behaviour logs confirm this.  Pupils have an excellent understanding of the different kinds of bullying, including name-calling and physical bullying. They say that no bullying takes place at school. Pupils are confident that any such instances would be dealt with quickly by staff if this happened.  There is a comprehensive understanding among pupils about how to keep themselves and others safe. This is promoted well by the curriculum which features anti-bullying weeks and visits from representatives of the police and fire services to talk about keeping safe. Pupils are taught about road safety and have the opportunity to take part in cycling proficiency courses.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils say they feel safe in school at all times because of the way staff look after them. Their enjoyment of school is shown by their regular attendance and arrival on time.  By willingly taking on a variety of responsibilities, such as being a member of the school council, pupils add greatly to the life of the school. The council takes its responsibilities seriously and effectively gives all pupils a voice in how the school develops. School councillors played a role in the development of the school’s quarry area for pupils to dig and explore. They also helped design a quiet outdoor area known as Peter’s Garden.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher has very effectively delegated responsibilities so that all staff have a leadership or management role. Senior leaders and governors work very well together to motivate staff and to get the best out of them. Morale is high with all staff being highly ambitious for pupils.  The management of how staff perform, including the training of teachers and other adults, very effectively meets the needs of the school and individual staff. It has been particularly successful in quickly developing the expertise of newly qualified teachers who have joined the school. There is a clear link between the performance of teachers and their salary progression.  Leaders check the quality of teaching very carefully. They provide areas for development and ensure that teachers respond to them successfully.  There are excellent arrangements for assessing the school’s strengths and what aspects require

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The leadership and management are outstanding

improvement. The actions taken to promote improvement are checked carefully to ensure that they are proving successful. Leaders have shown that they have excellent ability to continue making improvements.  The promotion of equality of opportunity and tackling of discrimination are outstanding. Leaders have a very clear view of the progress of individual pupils and different groups. Prompt action is taken if it is identified that extra support is necessary to maintain their levels of achievement.  The local authority provides light-touch support, as it is confident that the school’s leadership will continue to make improvements.  All groups of pupils benefit from an extremely well-organised and relevant curriculum that provides outstanding opportunities for learning. It is very effectively enhanced by a variety of well-attended extra-curricular activities and educational visits, such as to the National Coal

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The leadership and management are outstanding

Mining Museum in Wakefield. The curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in an outstanding manner.  The governance of the school:  Governance is outstanding. Governors take part in regular training, ensure that safeguarding requirements are met and manage the budget well to ensure financial stability. They understand the data relating to the school’s performance and are strongly involved in driving school improvement. The governing body robustly holds leaders to account for the school’s performance, including the way the funding for pupils eligible for the pupil premium is used to raise their achievement. Governors have an accurate view of the quality of teaching and how the management of performance is used to improve staff expertise, tackle underperformance and reward good teaching.

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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 107651 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 412624

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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 4–10 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 113 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Christopher Barnes Headteacher Anne Kaye Date of previous school inspection 14 November 2007 Telephone number 01924 326802 Fax number 01924 326802 Email address office.emley@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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