Savile Park Primary School

Savile Park Primary School Moorfield Street, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX1 3ER

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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.  ‘Nurturing a love for learning, life and one another’ is the school’s vision and one that is demonstrated every day by all pupils and adults.  This is a remarkable school where pupils make outstanding progress. Attainment in external tests at the end of Year 6 in 2012 was average and is likely to be below average in 2013 based on the school’s accurate tracking data. Nevertheless, when considering their very low starting points pupils do exceptionally well.  Teaching is outstanding. It challenges pupils to do their very best and all pupils, including the younger ones in the Early Years Foundation Stage, respond exceptionally well to their committed teachers and other adults. The small number of hearing impaired pupils make good progress although would benefit from stronger specialist teaching.  Pupils relish the caring attitude of the adults who are fully committed to ensuring the best

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

learning experiences for them. Adults and pupils talk passionately about the sense of belonging that permeates throughout.  Behaviour is outstanding. Pupils arrive eager to learn and keen to make the most of every opportunity.  The headteacher and her senior leaders communicate their vision with great success which helps secure the highest levels of pupil achievement. Staff tell of being proud to belong to the school and contribute exceptionally well to its highly inclusive nature. Parents share this view and were highly complementary about the school when spoken to by inspectors.  The leadership of teaching is highly effective. All staff benefit from an effective programme of professional development. Teaching assistants are encouraged to develop their skills and the school makes resources available to them.  Newly qualified teachers are well supported. They contribute well to the outstanding achievements of the pupils and speak highly of

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

their colleagues and the support they receive from them.  The governing body is impressive. It knows the school extremely well and rigorously interrogates the school’s plans and subsequent actions. Its members keep up to date with wider educational issues through training and periodically reviewing each member’s skills and experience. All with the intent of providing the highest quality education for the pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 10 teachers teaching 13 part lessons across each key stage and the Reception class. Shorter visits to the majority of classes with the headteacher were also undertaken.  Meetings were held with pupils; teaching staff; middle and senior leaders; representatives from the governing body and the former School Improvement Partner.  A telephone conversation was had with the current School Improvement Partner.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documentation including pupils’ work; data relating to the progress of current classes and individual pupils; records of the monitoring of teaching; minutes of meetings held by the governing body; the school’s self-evaluation documents and the school development plan. A wide range of policies were scrutinised also.  Inspectors took account of 46 staff responses from those who returned the questionnaires and 24 responses from parents from Parent View on the Ofsted website.

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Inspection team

Peter Cox, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Hilary Ward Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  There are an above 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 from minority ethnic backgrounds is above the national average and represents nearly three quarters of the school population. Those pupils who speak English as an additional language represent a larger proportion when compared to the national picture.  The proportion of those pupils supported through school action is above average and those supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is over twice that seen nationally.  The school meets the current government floor standards that set the minimum expectations for

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Information about this school

pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school has the capacity to take up to eight pupils with hearing impairment. These pupils are taught in normal classes with support from deaf instructors and specialist teaching assistants who are currently provided by the local authority.  The headteacher is a Local Leader of Education and the school is a strategic partner in a teaching school alliance.  Savile Park is a Dyslexia Friendly school and has many national awards including Investors in Pupils, the ICT Mark and Quality Mark.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Work with the local authority to secure further improved attainment for the hearing impaired pupils by introducing a programme of consistently outstanding teaching to accelerate pupils’ communication skills especially in writing.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children come into the Reception class with skills and attributes that are low given their age. They make at least good progress during their time in Reception and enter Year 1 having made up ground in their learning.  Pupils’ progress in learning, including those whose first language is other than English, gathers pace because of the high quality teaching. By the end of Year 6, those pupils who left in 2012 attained results in English and mathematics that were average when compared with other primary schools. Given their starting points, which were lower than those of other pupils across the country, this represented outstanding progress because they achieved highly by comparison.  This success continues with the current Year 6 pupils who began school at a significantly lower point. According to the school’s accurate monitoring data they will attain standards in English and mathematics that will be below the national average but will have made outstanding gains

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

in their learning while being at school.  Achievement of the current Year 5 is outstanding and looks set to continue next year according to the school’s data.  The current Year 1 phonics screening check indicates an improvement on last year’s results and an above average proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard. The standard of reading in Year 2 and in Year 6 is average.  Those pupils who are disabled or with special educational needs also make outstanding progress from their starting points because of the excellent support they receive throughout their time at school.  Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals achieve outstandingly well along with their peers. The difference in their attainment when compared to other pupils is lower than that seen nationally but they are gaining ground year-on-year.  The number of hearing impaired pupils who receive specialist support in class make good

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

progress but not as rapidly as other pupils. The majority of these pupils have additional learning difficulties and their progress in English and particularly writing is slower by comparison.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching in all classes is never less than good and a high proportion of it is outstanding. This contributes to the high rates of progress made by pupils over time. Teachers plan exceptionally well and provide challenging and engaging learning closely matching pupils’ abilities.  The teaching of literacy and numeracy as discrete subjects and the development of these basic skills in topic work such as in design technology, history and geography is outstanding. Pupils acquire a very secure understanding; consequently, these high level skills prepare them exceptionally well for their move to secondary education. Pupils are able to develop oracy skills through regular opportunities to speak out loud to the whole class about their work or when reading from a book.  Expectations of teachers and their assistants are high. Excellent pupil relationships allow learning to proceed at a rapid pace as was seen in all lessons and particularly a Year 1 lesson where

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

pupils had to work out the most common insect from a range of information. In this lesson pupils worked together in teams producing tally charts and totalling up their results. Some were able to work out the answers mentally while others helped each other calculate the correct result.  Pupils enjoy their lessons and talk of the school ‘being like home’ and other pupils and adults ‘being part of our family’. The range of educational visits is well thought of by the pupils. Staff carefully construct learning activities to get the most from visits to, for example, Whitby that help progress learning in all subjects but specifically geography, history, English and mathematics.  The school prides itself on its inclusivity. Everyone is accepted and those with disabilities or special educational needs, including the hearing impaired, are offered every opportunity to be involved in learning in the classroom and in the wide range of oversubscribed clubs and activities

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

that take place at lunchtime or after school. However, teaching of the hearing impaired pupils needs strengthening to help develop their writing skills further.  Teachers’ assessments of pupils learning are accurate and marking of their work is clear. Comments in books often detail what pupils must do next to improve and the accurate presentation of work is encouraged.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are exemplary. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is outstanding. Pupils walk quietly and safely around the school and hold doors open for each other and adults without prompting. Excellent behaviour and manners are deeply rooted characteristics of this warm, friendly school.  The personal development of each individual is a high priority for the school. Pupils are nurtured in a very safe and secure environment. Pupils play well together at playtime and include friends in their games. One group inviting an inspector to skip!  Bullying is rare but dealt with promptly and effectively when it does occur. Pupils understand the different forms bullying can take. They are taught the potential dangers of the internet through effective assemblies and the curriculum. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated by pupils or staff.  The responses of staff to the inspection questionnaire where unanimous in agreeing that

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

behaviour was good in the school and that the pupils felt safe. The overwhelming majority of parents who responded to Parent View responded similarly.  Attendance has improved and is above average. On the first day of the inspection the school recorded 100% attendance. The levels of persistent absence have reduced and are now below average due to the school stressing to families the importance of regular attendance that in turn helps pupils achieve.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school is led outstandingly well by the committed and passionate headteacher and her leadership team. Pupils, parents and staff think very highly of her and appreciate the determination and drive shown in securing the best possible outcomes for the pupils.  The school has very successfully addressed the areas for improvement contained in the last inspection report. It successfully demonstrates outstanding capacity to improve further.  The leadership and management of teaching are strong. Senior leaders regularly monitor the quality of teaching and provide highly effective support and training to ensure teaching remains outstanding.  The outstanding curriculum across all key stages meets exceptionally well the interests, abilities and needs of the pupils. The school goes the extra mile to ensure that individual pupil’s needs are met. For example, there are an increasing number of pupils capable of attaining Level 6

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The leadership and management are outstanding

standards at the end of Year 6, which the school are committed to providing if the pupils demonstrate that high level ability.  A well-planned and coordinated approach to social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is evident across the school and a rich understanding of different cultures exists.  Teachers, including senior leaders, understand the importance of improving their practice and securing improved attainment and pupils’ progress even further. It is understood by all how this links to the management of their performance and any pay progression.  Policies and procedures for safeguarding are exemplary and meet requirements.  Beyond the specialist provision delivered by the local authority, it provides light touch support for this outstanding school.  The governance of the school:  Governance is outstanding. Governors demonstrate a strong commitment to the school and a relentless drive in ensuring that high ambitions are realised. They undertake appropriate

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The leadership and management are outstanding

training and ensure, as a group, they understand the complexities of school data. They do this in order to hold the school to account with rigour. Governors understand the impact teaching has on pupils’ achievement. They are also very clear about how the management of teachers’ performance links to pay progression. The governing body regularly scrutinises how the pupil premium is spent and has a very firm understanding and control on the school’s finances.

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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 107482 Local authority Calderdale Inspection number 412167

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 212 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Norman Barton Headteacher Karen Lomas Date of previous school inspection 17 September 2009 Telephone number 01422 352844 Fax number 01422 893506 Email address admin@savilepark.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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