Ossett South Parade Primary

Ossett South Parade Primary Fairfield Road, South Parade, Ossett, WF5 0DZ

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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 broadly average starting points, pupils make good progress throughout the school and achieve well.  At the end of Year 6, overall standards are above average. Standards are consistently high in reading and mathematics.  Pupils with special educational needs and those known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding make good progress because they receive effective support.  Teaching is good with occasional examples of outstanding practice in both key stages.  Pupils enjoy learning and try hard in their work. Behaviour is good. Because of the trusting relationships they form with staff, pupils feel safe and happy at school.  Senior leaders, including the governing body, ensure that improvements are strongly focused on raising pupils’ standards and progress.  Most parents are very positive about the school and say that their children love being there.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 While much of the teaching is good, not enough is outstanding to drive pupils’ progress more rapidly and challenge the more-able pupils sufficiently to make overall achievement outstanding.  Standards in writing, while above average, are not as high as those in mathematics and reading because pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to write at length in literacy and other subjects.  When monitoring teaching and learning, senior leaders sometimes overlook weaknesses in teachers’ planning and marking.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 23 lessons, four of which were observed jointly with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. In addition, the inspectors made other visits to classes, looked at pupils’ work and listened to a number of children read.  Meetings were held with pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and four other governors, senior and middle managers and subject leaders, and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 42 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View), spoke to a good number of parents on the school premises or by telephone and took account of written correspondence from parents. Inspectors did not receive any completed Ofsted’s staff questionnaires but did take into account any views of the school expressed by staff during discussions.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s evaluation of its own performance, the school’s own data on pupils’ progress, planning

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Information about this inspection

and monitoring documentation, the records of how the school uses its funding, especially how the money from pupil premium is spent. Records relating to behaviour, attendance, incident logs, individual pupil case studies and documents relating to safeguarding were also taken into consideration.

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Inspection team

Rajinder Harrison, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Doreen Davenport Additional Inspector Sandy Dixie Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-sized primary school. The number on roll has increased significantly since the school’s previous inspection.  Almost all pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action and at school action plus is average.  The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is average. (In this school the pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children that are looked after by the local authority.)  While most children join the school in the Early Years Foundation Stage (Nursery Year), a good proportion join in their Reception Year.  The school is currently undergoing considerable building works to accommodate the rising numbers on roll.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that it is consistently good and more is outstanding so that the rate of pupils’ progress speeds up and achievement rises in all subjects, but particularly in writing, by ensuring that:  teachers use the assessment information they have about what pupils know and can do to match the work appropriately to the needs of all pupils, particularly during whole-class discussions, and have higher expectations of all pupils but especially the more able  teachers give pupils more opportunities to write independently and at length in literacy and other subjects  marking in all subjects provides pupils with the guidance they need to improve their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by monitoring more rigorously, the quality of teachers’ planning and marking and its effect on learning throughout the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start in the Nursery with knowledge and skills that are typical for their age. Good teaching in a safe, happy environment helps children settle quickly and enjoy school. Children who join the school in Reception are integrated well and make good progress. By the time children enter Year 1, most reach at least average standards and a high proportion gain skills that are above average for their age.  Pupils’ progress is good through Years 1 to 6. Pupils enjoy learning and work hard. Occasionally, a few, particularly the more able, do not achieve as much as they could because the work they are given is not hard enough to challenge them sufficiently.  At the end of Year 2, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are at least average and a good proportion of pupils are working at above average levels. By the time pupils leave the school, at the end of Year 6, standards are above average in reading and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Throughout the school reading is taught well. Letters and the sounds they make are taught effectively in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, and reading skills are extended well as pupils make progress through the school. Many pupils exceed the levels expected for their age and a high proportion are working at well-above expected levels.  Standards in mathematics are well above average because numeracy skills are taught effectively. Pupils enjoy the daily challenges to practise, for example their tables, and thus speed up their calculation skills, that they apply confidently when solving problems.  Standards in writing, while above average, are not higher because pupils do not write at length and independently in literacy or other subjects. Teachers miss opportunities to ensure that pupils apply accurately what they have learnt in literacy when writing accounts in history and reports in

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The achievement of pupils is good

science. Consequently, too few pupils exceed the levels expected for their age in writing.  Effective support, particularly the good personalised planning for individual pupils, ensures that disabled pupils and those with special educational needs achieve well against their starting points. These pupils make good gains during whole-class sessions and when working in small groups because they are engaged fully and so enjoy learning.  Pupils supported through the pupil premium make good progress. The standards they reach in English and mathematics are similar to their classmates because they are supported effectively. While a few are a term or two behind pupils in similar circumstances nationally, the standards most reach are generally similar to those of pupils who are not eligible for free school meals in the school. Many are working at above the levels expected for their age. The gap between the

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The achievement of pupils is good

achievements of these pupils and similar pupils nationally is narrowing steadily because the extra support, for example, during the breakfast club and the guidance from the learning mentor, has had a significant impact on pupils’ confidence to learn and achieve well.  The school uses its primary school sport funding to increase opportunities for pupils to engage in sports that include football, athletics and gymnastics coaching. Pupils are enthusiastic about physical education and have a very good understanding of how to keep fit and healthy.  Overall, the school promotes equality of opportunity well. Other than in the occasional lesson, where a few more-able pupils are not always given sufficiently challenging work, pupils achieve well, and an increasing number are working towards well above the levels expected by the time they leave at the end of Year 6 in all but their writing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching overall is good; a small proportion is outstanding.  Where teaching is outstanding, teachers’ expectations of pupils are high and lessons are interesting lively and purposeful. For example, in a Year 4 literacy lesson, pupils were clear about what they were going to learn and threw themselves into exploring their ideas about the feelings of Hogarth (The Iron Man), enthusiastically. The teacher’s planning was structured effectively so that the lesson fired pupils’ imaginations and their sense of empathy for Hogarth. As a result, they made outstanding progress. Similarly, in a physical education lesson in Year 1, pupils behaved impeccably while extremely excited as they moved around the hall balancing on the floor apparatus. They worked purposefully, fully aware of the high expectations the teacher had placed on them to take turns sensibly and keep safe.  Most teachers engage pupils well through discussions that help pupils develop their thinking, and

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The quality of teaching is good

ask probing questions to check that pupils understand what they have learned. For example, pupils in a lesson in a Year 5/6 class discussed the properties of regular and irregular shapes and applied their mathematical vocabulary confidently. However, occasionally in order to maintain a lively pace and ensure pupils complete tasks, teachers cut discussions short. Consequently, a few pupils are unsure about their learning and so make limited progress.  Most teachers use information about pupils’ ability and progress effectively in their planning. Occasionally, where teaching requires improvement, the information is not used well to provide suitable levels of challenge for all pupils and so pupils of all abilities sometimes sit through quite lengthy, generalised presentations that are too easy for some and too hard for others. Consequently, a few do not engage fully and so do not achieve as well as they could.

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The quality of teaching is good

 While staff are generally very supportive and encourage pupils to work hard, teachers’ marking does not always provide pupils with sufficient guidance to help them improve their work.  The one-to-one and small-group support provided by teaching assistants and other staff is effective in helping pupils most at risk of falling behind to achieve well. Pupils particularly value the regular time they have at school to read to an adult and get help with their homework.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is generally very good and sometimes exemplary. Pupils enjoy learning and try hard. As one pupil said, ‘I feel good inside when I learn something new’. Occasionally, a few become restless and inattentive when they have to sit and listen for too long.  Parents and staff who contributed their views during the inspection were very positive about the school and about pupils’ behaviour and interest in learning.  Pupils are very friendly and polite; they look after each other in lessons and around school and report that they feel safe and well looked after at school. Pupils show high regard for staff and these trusting relationships give pupils the confidence to ask for help if they need it.  From their lessons, visits and talks from visitors, for example the emergency services, pupils understand well how to stay safe outside school. They have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe and what to do if problems arise, for example, to shout loudly if strangers

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

try to befriend them.  The school tackles any form of discriminatory behaviour promptly. Pupils have a very good understanding of different types of bullying, including the threats posed by social network sites and cyber-bullying. They say that there is no bullying at school and that staff would address any problems straight away.  Opportunities to take responsibility such as older pupils looking after younger ones at lunchtimes, tending the school gardens and generally helping around the school all provide pupils with purposeful experiences that develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness effectively.  Pupils enjoy many events, including visits that extend their experiences of the wider world. Through working with an extensive range of visitors, pupils show respect for the different communities and lifestyles in the world beyond school. The school is aware that opportunities are missed to celebrate the increasing range of diverse cultures represented in Britain today.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ attendance is average. The school is considering more stringent strategies to tackle absence caused by families taking holidays in term time.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has high aspirations for its pupils and leaders have an accurate overview of the school’s performance. The headteacher ensures good teamwork among staff and governors and parents.  Despite the disruption caused by the building works, the school’s current information on pupils’ progress shows that pupils are making good progress and a significant proportion is working at well above the levels expected for their age.  The progress of pupils most at risk of falling behind is reviewed at regular intervals and effective personalised support ensures that these pupils make good progress. The level of care the school provides is good. Leaders check that pupils have the help they need to achieve well and involve outside agencies promptly when the need arises.  The school improvement plan shows that leaders focus effectively on ensuring that the basic skills of reading and mathematics are taught effectively. Improving pupils’ writing is now an

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The leadership and management are good

urgent priority.  Senior leaders monitor teachers’ performance regularly and identify where improvements need to be made. Teachers have good opportunities to improve their practice, and there are good systems in place to monitor most aspects of the school’s work. However, leaders do not always check closely that teachers’ planning challenges all pupils fully and that marking is of consistently high quality at all times.  Robust procedures that are linked to salary progression are in place to improve teachers’ performance. Where teaching requires improvement leaders organise appropriate individual support. Teamwork with the partner school has been valuable in improving teaching and learning and in enriching the curriculum.  The curriculum links subjects through topics that engage pupils’ interests effectively, but pupils have insufficient opportunities to practise their writing skills and thus achieve higher standards in

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The leadership and management are good

writing. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage enjoy many opportunities to explore the world around them and develop their skills and knowledge effectively.  Many enrichment activities extend pupils’ learning beyond school and promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. For example, pupils talked enthusiastically about sports activities and using computers to find information for topics and homework. From art and other cultural activities and visits to places of interest, pupils gain a good awareness of the world beyond school.  The school involves parents well by encouraging them to support their children’s learning by, for example, listening to them read at home and making sure children arrive at school punctually.  The local authority’s involvement with the school is light touch. It provides the school with valuable staff training, support in evaluating the school’s performance and identifying areas for

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The leadership and management are good

development.  The governance of the school:  Governors are very committed to the school and the community it serves. They check that policies are up to date and that finances are managed efficiently. For example, they ensure that the pupil premium funding is used to support the pupils for whom it is intended and know its impact and that primary school sport funding is used to increase pupils’ access to sport. They ensure that the school meets all safeguarding requirements and, in partnership with other agencies, they support very effectively the children that are most in need. The governing body has effective arrangements to ensure that pay awards are linked to teachers’ performance and that the procedures to measure teachers’ performance are thorough. Governors understand well the data regarding the school’s performance and pupils’ progress and understand that not enough of the teaching is outstanding to secure outstanding

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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 134376 Local authority Wakefield Inspection number 425956

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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 403 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Bev Riley Headteacher Nigel Blakeley Date of previous school inspection 18 September 2008 Telephone number 01924 302875 Fax number 01924 302881 Email address headteacher@southparade.wakefield.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

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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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