Marshfield Primary School

Marshfield Primary School Thornton Lane, Little Horton, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD5 9DS

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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.  From their typically well-below average starting points, children make a great start to learning in Nursery and Reception. They are confident and respond well to stimulating activities which help them make outstanding progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Between Years 1 and 6, pupils achieve well and by the end of Year 6 reach standards of attainment that are broadly average.  Teaching often has a good pace and teachers’ good questioning ensures pupils are fully involved. Many of the teaching assistants offer high-quality support for pupils.  Pupils feel safe in school. They behave well; have positive attitudes to learning and good relationships with adults.  The headteacher has a very clear vision and strong sense of purpose in bringing about school improvement. Together with phase leaders, the headteacher regularly monitors the quality of teaching and learning. They ensure that good teaching practice is spread

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

throughout the school and effective support is provided to remedy weaknesses. As a result, teaching and pupils’ achievement are improving.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development extremely well. This ensures a clear, shared vision and ethos across the school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The quality of teaching is not yet consistently outstanding and a very small minority requires improvement.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise their writing skills, such as to write at length, particularly when they are working in subjects beyond English.  Teachers do not always give pupils enough time to respond to their written comments from marking work in pupils’ books so that they can learn from their mistakes.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 20 lessons, one jointly with the headteacher. In addition, the inspectors made a few short visits to observe pupils’ learning and listened to some pupils read.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders and managers, staff, the Chair of the Governing Body, a local authority representative, a small proportion of parents at the start of the school day and some pupils.  The inspectors observed the work of the school and looked at a number of documents, including: the school’s own information about pupils’ progress; planning and monitoring of teaching and learning documents, safeguarding information and pupils’ work.  Inspectors took account of the school’s own parent questionnaire because there were too few responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) for inspectors to be able to view.  Inspectors took account of 37 responses to the inspection questionnaire from staff.

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Inspection team

Mark Colley, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Carol Machell Additional Inspector Kirsty Haw Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Marshfield is a larger than average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in the care of the local authority, children of service families, and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, has declined in past years but is still above average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above average but the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The vast majority of pupils are of Pakistani or Bangladeshi heritage.  The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school has an additional site based at Hope Avenue where all pupils experience practical learning in an outdoor context. Marshfield is a lead school within Bradford for outdoor learning.

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Information about this school

 The school works in a local area partnership as a limited company with nine other schools. They provide school improvement services and have trained more than a hundred schools in procedures for gaining an accurate view of their performance.  The school has received a number of awards including International School Award, Enterprise Award and has achieved Healthy School Gold status.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching from good to outstanding in order to improve pupils’ achievement even further by:  giving all pupils greater opportunities for extended pieces of writing particularly in work beyond their English lessons  consistently giving pupils time during lessons to reflect and respond to the teachers’ suggestions on how their work might be improved further  continue to eradicate the very small minority of teaching that is not yet good.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 When children enter the school they have skills which are well below those typically expected but by the time they leave at the end of Year 6, their attainment in English and mathematics is usually close to the national average. This represents good progress from pupils’ starting points.  Excellent achievement is evident in the Early Years Foundation Stage. At the end of the Reception Year, children’s level of skills and understanding in all areas are often above those expected for their age, especially in communication and literacy skills. School data and inspection evidence show that this continues to be the case for children in Reception this year. In Reception classes, there is an extremely orderly atmosphere and a wonderful range of exciting resources engage children particularly well in playing and learning. The school has addressed the issue from the previous inspection and provision for mathematics is much

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The achievement of pupils is good

improved.  Pupils across all ages are keen readers and achievement in reading is a school strength. Pupils’ progress in reading is particularly good. Younger pupils are able to make words by using the different sounds letters and groups of letters make (phonics). In 2012, the proportion of pupils in Year 1 reaching the expected standard in the national reading check was above average. Older pupils can explain different types of books and why they prefer one author more than another. An above-average proportion of pupils made more than the expected rate of progress in reading in Year 6 in 2012.  Overall, pupils make good progress in writing although it is not as consistently good as it is in reading. In Year 6 in 2012, the proportion of pupils making more than the expected levels of progress was lower in writing than in reading and lower than expected nationally. All pupils practise the skill of writing extended passages in English lessons but in some year groups the

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The achievement of pupils is good

opportunities for them to write at length in other subjects are too limited. As a result, achievement is more variable and current standards in writing across the school are slightly lower than in mathematics and reading.  Achievement in mathematics is good because teachers effectively relate mathematics to the real world and allow pupils to practise their skills in different ways. In one lesson on coordinates, for example, pupils worked outdoors as a team to construct a grid. Pupils worked with enthusiasm to find the treasure buried by the teacher, embedding key mathematical vocabulary and valuable skills and knowledge linked to coordinates.  Through effective support from teaching assistants, pupils with disabilities or special educational needs make similar progress to other pupils. Pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium also achieve well. In Year 6 in 2102, for example, the attainment of pupils known to be eligible

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The achievement of pupils is good

for free school meals in English and mathematics was less than one term behind other pupils in the school. This gap is narrower than the gap seen nationally. Although across the school the attainment of eligible pupils varies between classes, the effective support they receive is helping to successfully reduce it. This demonstrates the school’s commitment to promoting equality of opportunity and tackling discrimination.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In most lessons, the quality of teaching is good and sometimes outstanding. A very small minority requires improvement.  Teachers have good subject knowledge, set up appropriate activities to meet the varying needs and abilities of pupils and ask searching questions which encourage pupils to think and find things out for themselves. In an outstanding Year 1 lesson, pupils worked with great independence without the need for adult intervention. They used the teacher’s excellent learning resources and chose the most appropriate mathematical method to solve division and multiplication problems. Excellent group work ensured pupils challenged one another, tested the answers and, as a result, made rapid progress.  The quality of teachers’ marking is high and is a key factor in promoting pupils’ good progress. All teachers use an agreed marking system in all classes. Their comments make very clear to pupils how well they are doing and what they need to do next to improve. In some classes,

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The quality of teaching is good

however, pupils are not given enough time to study these comments and to make changes to work and learn from their mistakes. Pupils say this would help them to make even better progress.  Teachers make the most of opportunities to reinforce key literacy and numeracy skills. A structured approach to developing spelling, grammar and punctuation is helping many pupils develop a deeper understanding of these essential literacy skills. Occasionally, teachers spend too long on the development of these skills leaving too little time for pupils to apply and demonstrate them in more extended pieces of writing, which slows pupils’ progress.  Staff meet regularly with senior leaders to discuss the progress of every pupil. Teachers track and accurately record each pupil’s skills and abilities. The groups of pupils across the school are also carefully reviewed. This ensures swift action is taken to help pupils who are not making

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The quality of teaching is good

good enough progress.  Teaching is outstanding in the Nursery and Reception and children quickly find out that learning is fun. They take every opportunity to develop children's social, observational and communication skills. Activities, both indoors and out, are exciting, purposeful and varied.  Pupils regularly use online or computer-based resources to support their learning. In a Year 4 class, pupils were able to explore text on a digital book. The use of these electronic tablets created real enthusiasm for reading, drawing pupils into their reading and creating a deeper discussion of the key characters’ feelings. Pupils talked enthusiastically about the wide opportunities they have to use computers and new technologies, particularly to support their progress in reading.  Teaching assistants play a significant role in pupils’ good progress, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. They give clues to encourage pupils to think for

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The quality of teaching is good

themselves rather than simply telling them what the answers are.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Throughout the school there is a strong ethos of mutual respect which is upheld by staff and pupils. As a result, the relationships between pupils and staff are strong and pupils behave well.  Pupils’ attitude to learning is good and many said that they liked school because teachers tell them how well they are doing and how they can improve their work. Only very occasionally did pupils show a lack of attention in class.  In discussion pupils say they enjoy school very much. They like their teachers and really value the different trips that are planned each year. Year 6 talked excitedly to the inspectors about a trip to Alton Towers with their new teachers from the high school.  Bullying and safety issues are covered well in lessons and assemblies. Pupils and their parents say very readily that pupils are safe in school. They have confidence in the staff to deal with any bullying if it should arise. Older pupils understand about different types of bullying, including

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

internet bullying, and how to avoid it.  Attendance is broadly average. The team that checks and promotes good attendance has made very good links with parents. They provide strong support for a number of families to help boost their attendance and punctuality.  The provision for pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is exemplary. Pupils work closely with business mentors and through enterprise projects to develop vital life skills. Strong international links and frequent reflection around the lives of people from other cultures and faiths contribute well to the positive attitudes to one another and to adults.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and managers, along with all staff, share high ambitions for the school. They have a sharp understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They keep all aspects of its work under close review. Leadership and management are not outstanding, however, because they have not yet brought about outstanding teaching or achievement and a very small minority of teaching that requires improvement has yet to be eradicated.  The headteacher has successfully utilised the expertise of the teachers to take on specific roles of responsibility and to lead key phases and areas of school development. This ensures that school improvement moves forward at a good rate as seen in the quality of pupils’ reading and in improved achievement and provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The local authority has provided light-touch support for this good school. The school has been able to access training and support from within the local area partnership of primary schools as

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The leadership and management are good

well as supporting other schools on the development of procedures for schools to evaluate their own effectiveness and marking and assessment. Training and staff development are closely linked to whole-school improvement.  Leaders ensure that their evaluations of the quality of teaching are closely linked with how well pupils are learning. Teachers’ performance targets and decisions to allocate pay awards are linked to how well pupils perform in literacy and numeracy. This is helping to improve teaching and pupils’ achievement, and address weaknesses in pupils’ writing.  Pupils learn a varied range of subjects and the school offers a good range of out-of-school activities. When asked what was the best thing about Marshfield one pupil said, ‘You get to do things here you don’t get to do at other schools.’ Visiting speakers, particularly around business and enterprise, and visits to places of interest broaden pupils’ horizons. Provision for outdoor

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The leadership and management are good

learning at the school’s Hope Avenue site is really valued by pupils because of the focus on applied and practical learning.  Relationships with parents are very good as shown by their increased involvement with the school and the positive response to the recent school questionnaire. During the inspection, many parents were eager to tell inspectors about their children's positive experiences at the school. One parent commented, ‘The headteacher is very approachable and really involved in the local community.’  The governance of the school:  Members of the governing body have made sure that all of the required policies are in place and are up to date. Governors have an accurate understanding of how well the school is doing and they work closely with the headteacher to make the school better. They are well informed of the work of the school through regular reports from the headteacher and subject leaders,

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The leadership and management are good

as well as from their own visits. They are now more challenging in checking that pupils are making at least the progress they should. Governors understand how the pupil premium money is spent and where it is having the most impact. They understand the current quality of teaching and are further developing their understanding of how this is linked to teachers’ pay. They have taken decisive action since the last inspection to eradicate inadequate teaching. Governors ensure 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 107215 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 413145

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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 503 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Lynne Foreman Headteacher Colleen Jackson Date of previous school inspection 9 June 2010 Telephone number 01274 573295 Fax number 01274 503964 Email address colleen.jackson@marshfield.bradford.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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