Littletown Junior Infant and Nursery School

Littletown Junior, Infant and Nursery School Bradford Road, Liversedge, West Yorkshire, WF15 6LP

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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 Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The headteacher, working in tandem with senior leaders and the governing body, has set challenging goals for staff and each pupil.  The standards of behaviour and safety, quality of teaching and leadership have improved since the last inspection.  All staff fully understand their role in improving learning within this school.  Leaders and teachers reflect on their own performance and are confident to be self- critical. The positive and supportive culture within the school enables staff to seek and achieve improvement and look to develop their skills further.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding both in lessons and around the school. They have wonderful relationships with each other and make a significant contribution to improving the school. Pupils feel very safe and enjoy attending the school.  All pupils make at least good progress and most make outstanding progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage, in reading and in

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

mathematics. This is because teaching is now consistently good and some is outstanding.  The quality of teaching has improved across the school because school leaders have raised the expectations of teachers of what their pupils can achieve.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching to ensure all pupils make excellent progress. Marking does not always tell pupils how to specifically improve.  Progress over time in writing is not as fast as in reading and mathematics, especially at Key Stage 1. Pupils do not always use grammar and punctuation accurately.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 11 lessons or parts of lessons, of which three were observed jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors made a number of shorter visits to other lessons. Inspectors also listened to pupils read and scrutinised work in their books.  Meetings were held with two different groups of pupils from all ages and from a range of different backgrounds. Inspectors held informal discussions with other pupils.  Inspectors also held meetings with the Chair of the Governing Body, four other governors, senior leaders and a telephone conversation with the local authority consultant who works with the school.  Inspectors looked at documents relating to safeguarding, the performance management of staff, the tracking and assessment of pupils’ attainment and progress, records on attendance, behaviour and safety and the monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning. They looked at

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Information about this inspection

the effect of the school’s use of the pupil premium funding.  Inspectors took account of the views of 50 parents in the on-line questionnaire (Parent View). Inspectors scrutinised 20 questionnaires completed by staff.

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Inspection team

Zahid Aziz, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Irene Lavelle Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Littletown Junior, Infant and Nursery School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium is above 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.) At this school, almost all the pupils eligible for the pupil premium are those known to be entitled to free school meals and this proportion is much higher than the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The large majority of pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic

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Information about this school

backgrounds and those pupils who speak English as an additional language, most of whom are of Pakistani heritage, is well below average.  A new senior leadership team, including the headteacher, has been put in place since the previous inspection.  On 1 August 2012, Littletown Junior, Infant and Nursery School became a foundation school and simultaneously acquired a charitable trust, The Spenborough Co-operative Trust, as part of six other local schools with its own independent governing body.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching from good to outstanding by:  using the outstanding teaching practice already available within the school as a model for other teachers to help them to improve their own practice  ensuring work is always matched to the needs of each and every pupil, so that all pupils make the best possible progress  making sure that teachers’ marking is consistent across the school so that pupils know their targets and how to achieve them as part of the ‘next step’ to improve their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further increase pupils’ progress in writing especially at Key Stage 1, to match that made in reading and mathematics by making sure that:  more attention is given to improving skills so that pupils do not make simple errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most groups of pupils make at least good progress in Key Stage 1 and outstanding progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 2. In mathematics and reading the proportions of pupils making and exceeding the progress expected of them are high.  Pupils write at length in a variety of styles and for different audiences. However, achievement is not outstanding over time because progress in writing, especially in Key Stage 1, is not as brisk as in mathematics and reading. There is also a little variation in the progress of some groups of pupils.  Although standards overall dipped in 2012, leaders took quick action and there is now an improving picture. Current school information and inspection evidence indicates that pupils are now making excellent progress in reading and mathematics, especially in Year 6.  School data show that 100% of pupils achieved nationally expected results in reading, 83% in

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The achievement of pupils is good

writing and 94% in mathematics. In mathematics alone, 66% of pupils’ achieved the higher Level 5 and 22% achieved the highest Level 6 for 2013 results. Pupils’ information and communication technology skills are good. As a result, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.  The achievement of different groups of pupils, including those known to be eligible for free school meals, is good overall and some is outstanding. Pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding do much better than similar pupils in other schools across the country. This is largely because the school carefully tracks their progress and then provides effective support, such as one-to-one help from an adult. Their social and emotional skills are nurtured through the use of the ‘Phoenix room’ where pupils can relax when they need to for short periods before settling again to their work. Consequently, the gap in the standards reached between these groups of

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The achievement of pupils is good

pupils and other pupils is closing and their rate of progress is improving in both English and mathematics. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good and sometimes outstanding progress because of the good support they receive from well-qualified staff. Pakistani pupils achieve well and make better progress in this school than similar pupils do nationally.  There is an exceptional focus on developing pupils’ skills in speaking and reading across the school. This starts from the Nursery, working up through the school. For example, each class has its own dedicated ‘reading corner’ that pupils can use during lessons or in their own time to study fiction or non-fiction books. This helps to develop a love of reading. Additionally, pupils gain confidence and broaden their skills which contribute well to their achievement across other subjects.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is consistently good and some is excellent. As a result, pupils learn well and make good progress. Teaching is not outstanding because work is not always well enough matched to the needs of every pupil so that they make the best possible progress. This is the case especially in writing and for those pupils who are disabled and those who have special educational needs as well as those pupils who are entitled to the pupil premium.  Pupils’ work is marked regularly and there is some good practice evident among teachers, for example in Year 6. However, in some year groups and subjects advice and guidance to pupils about their work is not always consistent and it is not always made clear to pupils what they need to do to improve their work and reach their target.  In good or outstanding lessons teachers are particularly skilled at providing well-planned activities that interest and inspire pupils to learn. They are also skilled in using other adults to

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The quality of teaching is good

provide help to pupils who need it.  This is often the case in the Early Years Foundation Stage. For example, inspectors observed children using their imaginations well by pretending to be at the seaside, catching crabs and fish and using this scenario to count numbers in order. In a Year 1 lesson, pupils were learning about letters and sounds and more-able pupils were able to use interactive whiteboards to make sentences from ‘ee’ sounds and demonstrated the correct pronunciation. In a Year 3/4 lesson, the teacher had well-organised activities to investigate length and units of measurement using different shapes with challenging tasks such as how to measure the length of a round shape.  As a result of this and of high expectations from the teachers and other adults, pupils were able to use their imaginations well, use modern technology competently, and give accurate and confident explanations of their activities.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Homework is well used to extend pupils’ skills by giving a range of tasks across different subjects. Work is neatly presented and writing is well linked with other subjects. Parents are also encouraged to participate in their children’s learning. As a result, pupils take pride in their work and develop the skills they need to work and learn unsupervised.  Discrimination of any sort is not tolerated and the school is committed to ensuring every pupil has an equal opportunity. With this in mind, the school ensures there is a range of support, including teaching assistants, tailor-made learning packages, and an exciting curriculum. As a result, all pupils make good progress in writing and outstanding progress in reading and mathematics.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour, attitudes to learning, and their safety have all improved since the last inspection and are now excellent. This is a tribute to the school’s robust system for managing pupils’ behaviour and the excellent nurturing support given to pupils who need it. Every pupil is encouraged to behave and excel in their learning. Pupils are clearly happy to be here. One pupil remarked, ‘We learn more every single day’.  Pupils show excellent care and respect for themselves, each other and adults around them. The relationship with staff is very good. Pupils are very polite and eager to work together.  Pupils listen very attentively in class and show enthusiasm for their learning. Disruption in lessons is uncommon. They take pride in wearing the school uniform which is kept neat and tidy.  Pupils say bullying is rare and always dealt with effectively. They are well aware of different forms of bullying including using racist or homophobic remarks and they know this is wrong.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

Pupils also know how to keep themselves safe including when using modern technology such as the internet.  Parents are very pleased with the information and guidance that the school provides to enable them to help their children with their school work. They feel their children are very happy, very safe and well taught. They feel behaviour has improved.  Attendance is above average and the school works extremely well with outside agencies and the school’s inclusion worker to support families who find it difficult to ensure their children attend regularly.  Pupils take on a wide range of responsibilities in the school, such as Young Leaders, school councillors, and being on the selection panel for the appointment of teachers for the school . They have opportunities to raise funds for good causes. As a result, they make an outstanding contribution in the school and the wider community.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent through thought-provoking

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

assemblies and links with other schools in the Trust. Pupils develop a very good understanding and empathy for others such as when visiting their different places of worship. They have a ‘quiet’ room where they can have time for reflection.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Due to an uncompromising and highly successful ambition by the headteacher, senior leadership team and governors, the school has improved the achievement and personal development of all pupils. As a result, pupils now make outstanding progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage, in reading, and in mathematics. Behaviour and safety have also improved and are now exemplary.  Leaders and managers are highly ambitious for staff and pupils. They have a very accurate understanding of the school’s performance and of the skills of the staff. This information is used accordingly to set the school’s priorities and bring about further improvements. The school’s record of improvement confirms that leaders and managers have the capacity to continue to bring about further improvement.  The school has an excellent tracking and monitoring system which is rigorously applied each half term to check the progress of each pupil. The targets set for pupils are challenging. Leaders

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The leadership and management are outstanding

recognise that all pupils must make excellent progress in key subject areas from their different starting points to be judged an outstanding school.  Monitoring of teaching across the school is well planned and very meticulously based on the government’s Teaching Standards. Teachers are given areas for development in great detail and followed up in the next observation. Exemplary practices, including paired teaching, peer observations, and modelled lessons, are shared across the school and across the Trust.  All teachers ‘own their data’ (information about each pupil) and are accountable for their progress. The progress of each individual pupil is checked and challenging targets are set for them. Staff progression along the pay scale is clearly linked to pupils’ achievement.  Ongoing training for staff is excellent including for those who are newly qualified teachers and for those whose practice has had weaknesses. This is a strong feature across the Trust and has

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The leadership and management are outstanding

resulted in all teaching being good or better.  Another key feature has been the work done by the school to change the attitude towards reading and improve reading standards to outstanding in only a short space of time.  The curriculum is imaginative and influenced by the school’s motto ‘every child is unique’. It promotes the school values, the social and emotional aspects of learning, and the main skills in English and mathematics. The school makes excellent use of the outside environment. For example, pupils enjoyed a ‘jungle walk’ and used giant protractors to measure angles. Pupils also have opportunities to develop their skills in assessing risk and also their leadership skills and a visit to the sculpture park helped them to appreciate aspects of culture. As a result of this interesting curriculum, behaviour, safety and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are all outstanding.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Parents speak highly about the school and of the high quality leadership. Parents feel staff are approachable and always ready to listen to their concerns. They feel they would recommend this school because their children make good progress and enjoy their time at the school.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is capable and is helping to improve the school. Governors have a wide range of skills and experience, including in education, law, finance, and management. They attend regular training and this has enhanced their understanding, particularly in calling leaders to account. They are keen to bring about further improvement to the school to become an outstanding school in the future. Governors are challenging, supportive and have a good grasp of the school’s data on its performance. They are knowledgeable about how their school compares with others and what needs to improve further, such as writing across the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

school. The governing body is aware of performance management procedures and is rigorous in following these when reviewing the headteacher’s performance and when rewarding high quality teaching or dealing with any underperformance. Governors know how well the pupil premium funding is spent and the difference this makes to the progress of those pupils who are entitled to it. Governors ensure the school meets the government’s safeguarding 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 107670 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 411974

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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 Junior, Infant and Nursery School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 189 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Stephen Muscroft Headteacher Fiona Cullivan-Ward Date of previous school inspection 18 March 2008 Telephone number 01274 335245 Fax number 01274 335245 Email address office.littletown@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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