Linthwaite Clough J I & Early Years Unit

Linthwaite Clough J I & Early Years Unit Chapel Hill, Linthwaite, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD7 5NJ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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.  The school is welcoming and vibrant with imaginative displays. It is a secure, creative place for learning, where everyone values and respects each other.  Teaching overall is good and improving.  Pupils are courteous, polite and eager to learn, and speak highly of what the school does to help them improve. They enjoy coming to school and feel safe.  Pupils enter the school at expected levels for their age. They make good progress throughout the school and leave Year 6 with above average attainment.  The school is led by a skilled, innovative headteacher who is valued by colleagues and the local authority.  The curriculum is rich and varied, particularly within the arts and other creative areas.  Leaders and managers have succeeded in making sure that all teaching is at least good, and are committed to making sure that pupils’ already good achievement becomes even better.  The governing body works closely with the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

school and takes steps to make sure that leaders can explain how the school is improving and why. As a result pupils make good progress.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Reading is taught well. The teaching of writing and mathematics could be improved to make sure that pupils make the same very good progress that they do in reading.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 17 lessons as well as some part lessons and special group activities. Four lessons were joint observations with the headteacher. In addition, the inspectors listened to pupils read and observed teaching assistants working with pupils.  Discussions took place with two groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body, several leaders and also with teachers. A representative of the local authority was also interviewed.  Inspectors considered 37 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and views made through a recent school survey of parental opinions. Some individual letters of support from parents were read. Twenty five staff questionnaires were reviewed.  Inspectors studied a range of school documents relating to progress, school improvement and performance management and safeguarding.  A broad range of other evidence from books and other examples of pupils’ work, pupils’ records,

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Information about this inspection

data and the curriculum, were also examined.

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Inspection team

Rosemary Batty, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Halford Additional Inspector Angela Shaw Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil-premium funding is well below average. The pupil premium is the extra funding the school receives for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those in the care of the local authority and the children of parents serving in the armed forces.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action is above average.  A below average proportion of pupils is supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The school has recently received the Artsmark Gold award.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate achievement throughout the school by improving the overall quality of teaching from good to outstanding by: – making sure that activities are always matched to all pupils’ needs, particularly in writing and mathematics – improving the quality of marking so that all pupils are clear about how to improve their work and are given the time to respond to teachers’ comments and advice – refining how pupils’ progress is checked so that all pupils make rapid and sustained progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter the school with skills that are typical for their age apart from in some aspects of social and language development. This is quickly tackled by the school, for example, by children in the Early Years Foundation Stage being encouraged to talk imaginatively about colour, hue and perspective. They also gave their views of what the artist may have been thinking whilst working. Their artwork was exceptional for their age.  Children do well in the Early Years Foundation Stage, and enter Year 1 with at least broadly average skills for their age. This good progress continues throughout Key Stages 1 and 2, with pupils attaining above average standards when they leave Year 6.  Attainment over the last three years has remained above the national average, but in 2012 it dipped to become more closely in line with national data. Evidence from the inspection and the school’s data indicates a return to the normal level of attainment for the current Year 6.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve very well in reading, but some pupils do not make the same rate of progress in mathematics and writing.  In the past, the attainment and progress of pupils eligible for the pupil premium have fallen short of those achieved by pupils in the school who are not eligible for such funding. Concerted action, including more focussed support and tracking of progress, has resulted in these pupils now making good progress, with the gap in attainment closing quickly. This indicates the school’s effective promotion of equality of opportunity.  The progress of those pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs is below that of similar pupils nationally. Better support is in now place with appropriate action being taken to help them. Progress is becoming more rapid and these pupils’ attainment is improving.  The outcomes of the Year 1 phonics (the teaching of letters and the sounds they make) test

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The achievement of pupils is good

indicate above average standards. This means that younger pupils get off to a flying start with their reading. Most of the older pupils read fluently, have a good knowledge of different styles of writing and confidently discuss their preferred authors.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils are motivated to learn because teachers provide stimulating, exciting lessons that allow pupils to explore individual interests. Planning is detailed and shared across the whole teaching team, including support staff, so that learning opportunities can be maximised for pupils across subjects.  Reading is taught very well. The teaching of writing and mathematics is good, but there is room for improvement in helping pupils to gain a deeper understanding of the more complex aspects of both subjects.  Although teachers give pupils considerable choice about what topic they will study they are rigorous in ensuring that the work pupils do within these topics is relevant, purposeful and ensures pupils’ good overall progress.  Teachers work closely to check on pupils’ achievement, and use a range of assessment techniques to decide how much progress is made and how they can support future learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

Pupils are involved in the process through termly one-to-one meetings. Pupils are aware from these meetings about what they have achieved and what they must do next. However, marked work is not always sufficiently clear to help pupils improve their work.  Support staff provide good quality learning opportunities for pupils directed by teachers.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 Pupils are well behaved in lessons and around school. They show positive attitudes, taking responsibility for their own conduct. The current behaviour policy, based upon pupils taking responsibility for themselves, is purposeful and effective. Poor behaviour is rare. When it happens, the school has effective systems to manage such instances through its pastoral programmes.  Pupils say they feel safe and understand what do if there are any issues. They value the guidance they are given to help them stay safe.  Pupils have a good knowledge of what constitutes different types of bullying and are well aware of how to stay safe when using the internet. They trust adults in the school and have a clear understanding of the procedures to make known any concerns they may have.  Pupils are self-confident because they feel that the school’s creative approaches to learning have helped them to develop as both learners and young people. For example, when pupils

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

took part in the recent interviews for the appointment of new teachers to the school.  They show a great awareness of others, recognising that not all people are the same in society and that some require specific help at certain times.  Pupils have frequent chances to show how they can work on their own. They assess the work of their peers and their own to measure how successful they have been.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is impressive, particularly in art. For example, a dance session after school combined the performing arts with great flair and imagination, as pupils mimed, danced and gave gymnastic displays in near perfect timing to the music. The performance mixed modern cultural dance styles with some traditional performance techniques. Talented drumming enhanced the whole sensory experience.  Multi-media artwork linked to topic work, pottery, textiles and paintings in the style of famous

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

artists, adorn the school. Pupils are encouraged to think of others, for example, through the Forget Me Not charity, which is organised by pupils.  Pupils help one another wherever possible, for example, older pupils make sure that others are able to care for themselves in the dining hall by supervising some routines  Attendance is average and most pupils are punctual.

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The leadership and management is good

 The senior leadership team works closely alongside the governing body to prioritise what will help the school to improve further. They have worked together to make sure that development plans are in place and regularly review the effectiveness of initiatives designed to help pupils achieve better. Mathematics and writing have been a priority and effective staff training has helped to improve the teaching of and the curriculum for reading.  Leaders check on the quality of lessons regularly and set clear targets for teachers based upon national standards. Teachers know clearly what they need to work upon and take responsibility to make sure that they improve. Teachers’ salaries are linked to how well they perform.  The good curriculum is wide, balanced and varied, particularly in the creative arts. In one lesson, a pupil was exploring the perimeter of tiles and was calculating the permutations possible by moving them into different positions. In another class, pupils were enthralled while

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The leadership and management is good

designing a bedroom within a fixed budget.  Pupil-premium funding is now used well to ensure the better achievement of eligible pupils.  All staff work together with the best interests of pupils at heart. This can also be seen in the relationship between the school and the governing body. One governor, for example, has helped to develop dance clubs, another has been directly involved in tracking pupils’ achievement, and others regularly visit classes.  The school has received light touch support from the local authority. It further values the skills of the headteacher in helping to develop the Early Years Foundation Stage practice in other schools.  The governance of the school: – The governing body is well organised with sub-committees that have specific responsibilities for key areas of the school. Consequently, information is shared so that decision making is robust. Meetings are regular, with clear actions relating to the school improvement. This

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The leadership and management is good

includes their own knowledge and understanding of how to ensure that the school can become even better, for example, through analysing performance data. Outside expertise is used to help governors improve their contribution to the school’s work. – There is some involvement with the local authority governing body forums in order to make sure that new key initiatives are acted upon. As a result governors have a clear picture of teaching, pupils’ progress and the impact of senior leaders, so that they can make informed judgements about the effectiveness of the school. – Statutory responsibilities regarding finance, policy review and the performance management of the headteacher are carried out efficiently. – The use of the pupil-premium funding is checked to ensure it is targeted wisely. Safeguarding meets requirements. There is a designated safeguarding sub-committee that reports back to full governing body meetings. All government requirements are met.

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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 107693 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 412561

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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 315 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jane Sykes Headteacher Gail Newton Date of previous school inspection 2 October 2008 Telephone number 01484 222576 Fax number Not applicable Email address office.linthclough@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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