St Paul's CofE Primary School

St Paul's CofE Primary School St Paul's Avenue, Buttershaw, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD6 1ST

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 The progress made by pupils of all abilities, particularly in writing and mathematics, varies too much over time and is not always good.  The quality of teaching is not good overall and this limits pupils from reaching their full potential.  Teachers do not always match work closely enough to the learning needs of pupils of different ability, especially the most able.  The continuity of pupils' learning is inhibited by the way some lessons are organised.  Teachers do not always make enough use of marking and feedback to enable pupils to improve their own work.  Some subject leaders do not fully promote their areas of responsibility in order to raise achievement further.

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The school has the following strengths

 The acting headteacher and deputy headteacher provide a clear and insightful direction for improvement. Together with the support of the governing body, they are effectively bringing improvements to teaching and learning through a period of significant staff change.  Pupils' reading skills are generally well developed throughout the school and standards are increasingly above average by Year 6.  Pupils' behave well and feel safe. They are considerate towards each other and take a pride in all they do. Their personal development is well established in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The school provides many positive experiences for pupils. Different subjects, such as history and science, as well as a variety of clubs and other activities, promote their emotional, social and physical well-being effectively.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 12 lessons including four joint observations with members of the senior leadership team. The inspectors also made a number of shorter visits to classrooms.  Discussions were held with a group of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and other members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority and members of staff, including senior leaders and other leaders with particular responsibilities. Inspectors also heard pupils read.  Inspectors took account of 32 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and the outcomes from the school’s consultations.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including information on pupils’ current progress, the school’s plans for improvement, the management of teachers’ performance, the use of pupil premium funding, and documentation and records relating to pupils’ behaviour and safety.

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Inspection team

Andrew Clark, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Halford Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action is average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and receive the pupil premium is average and is increasing. 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 who are looked after by the local authority.  The very large majority of pupils are from White British families.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  A significant proportion of teachers are new to the school since the previous inspection,

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Information about this school

including several recent appointments new to the profession.  The deputy headteacher was appointed acting headteacher from January 2013 due to the long term illness of the substantive headteacher. She was supported by an experienced deputy headteacher from another school who became acting headteacher in September 2013 and has since been appointed headteacher designate, to take up the post permanently in January 2014.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to consistently good or better in order to increase achievement, particularly in writing and mathematics, by:  making certain that work is closely matched to the learning needs of pupils of all abilities, especially the most able  ensuring a good momentum to pupils' learning throughout the lessons  making good use of marking and feedback to involve pupils more in assessing and improving their own work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the effectiveness of leadership and management by improving and fully implementing procedures for subject leaders to gain a thorough first-hand knowledge of strengths and weaknesses in their areas of responsibility and be accountable for subsequent improvements.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Through Years 1 to 6, the large majority of pupils of all abilities make at least expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics. However, too few pupils make better than expected progress, especially in writing and mathematics. This is largely because teaching does not always build systematically on earlier learning and provide enough challenge. This particularly, but not only, impacts on the achievement of the most able pupils.  Pupils reach standards which are average in writing and mathematics and increasingly above average in reading by time they leave school in Year 6. This is reflected in the results of the national tests and assessments. The results of Year 2 assessments improved from below average to closer to average in 2012, but dipped in 2013, largely as a result of significant staffing issues which have since been addressed.  Pupils' achievement in writing is variable. They do not always write at length often enough and

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

sometimes their choice of words and phrases is too limited. However, pupils usually present their written work well in a number of subjects and their spelling and grammar is increasingly accurate, which is a positive improvement since the last inspection.  In mathematics, standards are also broadly average by Year 6. Pupils do not always make secure use of their mathematical vocabulary and do not always show enough confidence in solving mathematical problems. However, a focus on number and calculation skills is accelerating pupils' progress throughout the school.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar progress to that of other pupils. Their progress requires improvement because pupils are not always challenged enough in their lessons. However, the targeted support from teaching assistants and other adults is leading to some greater progress.  Most-able pupils’ achievement is at the same rate as that of others overall. They are not always

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

challenged to think for themselves enough and use the skills they have. However, following intensive support in Year 6 and specialist teaching, the most able pupils reached high levels in national tests in 2013.  Pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium achieve standards which are broadly similar to those seen nationally by Year 6. Currently, the attainment of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is approximately a term behind that of other pupils in the school. However, well- planned use of the additional funding for additional teachers and intensive one-to-one support, is narrowing the gap between their achievement and that of others. In the 2013 national tests and assessments for Year 6, for example, these pupils achieved the national average for all pupils in reading, writing and mathematics combined.  Pupils of all abilities make good progress in learning how letters and the sounds they make work

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

and how they blend to make new words. This is reflected in the results of national assessments for these skills in Year 1, which were above average in 2013. By Year 6, pupils enjoy reading a good range of books with fluency and expression. They have a good knowledge of the work of different authors and make good use of reference skills in their history and science work.  Children start the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills generally below those typical for their age in communication and literacy and in line in other areas of learning. They make at least expected progress and increasingly good progress due to improvements to the learning environment and quality of teaching. As a result, children are inquisitive and keen to learn.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Although the inspector saw a number of lessons in which teaching was good and occasionally outstanding, however, over time not enough teaching is good or outstanding. The acting headteacher and senior leadership team have implemented rigorous procedures to accurately assess pupils' progress and to improve pupils' writing and mathematical skills, which are raising standards. However, significant staff changes for a wide range of reasons, have limited their full impact.  Teachers do not always challenge pupils of all abilities fully during the lesson. For example, sometimes they set work for the whole class to achieve before pupils undertake further work more closely matched to their learning needs. This limits pupils from reaching the highest levels they can, especially the most able.  In some lessons, teachers interrupt the continuity of pupils' learning by the way they organise the lesson. For example, teachers do not always give pupils long enough to concentrate on their

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

work before making suggestions for improving it or moving pupils from their desks to the carpet too often. On a few occasions, organisational activities such as giving out work sheets are too time consuming.  Although teachers now mark work regularly, they do not consistently make certain that pupils make the improvements that they suggest. They occasionally miss opportunities to involve pupils in assessing their own achievement during the lesson.  There has been a thorough improvement to the teaching of letters and sounds in Years 1 and 2 through carefully structured lessons and the development of reading skills throughout the school. A well-resourced reading scheme and many opportunities for pupils to read to adults contribute to pupils’ good progress in reading.  Teachers make good use of skilled teaching assistants in most lessons. They are well deployed to support and challenge pupils, especially disabled pupils and those with special educational

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

needs, through careful questioning and good demonstration of ideas.  In the best lessons, information and communication technology and other exciting resources are used well to stimulate and instruct. They provide opportunities for pupils to research and communicate through the use of computers. As a result, pupils’ overall independent learning skills have improved since the last inspection.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children increasingly learn well through carefully planned activities they select for themselves both indoors and out. This is also a good improvement since the last inspection. Reading, writing and number skills are introduced well through short and stimulating songs, rhymes and games.  Writing and mathematics skills are used regularly in other subjects, which is a further improvement since the last inspection. For example, pupils in Year 6 wrote very sensitive letters home from the western front, based on history work around Remembrance Day.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are happy and well behaved. They enjoy learning and are eager to try hard. They take a pride in their learning in most lessons, and this is an improvement from the previous inspection.  Pupils are punctual and their attendance is average and improving. Pupils are ready to learn when they arrive at school and smartly turned out in their uniforms.  Pupils feel safe at school and their parents agree. Relationships are good. Pupils have a good understanding of different forms of bullying, including cyber-bullying, and feel that very little goes on. If any bullying should occur, they are confident that the teachers and other adults would soon address it.  The school provides good support to pupils in vulnerable circumstances who find it difficult to manage their own emotions. Consequently, there have been few exclusions and poor behaviour is rare.  Behaviour is not yet outstanding overall because, although pupils are generally keen to learn,

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

they are not always inspired to achieve the very highest levels by the teaching in some lessons.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Several staff are new to their leadership roles, particularly middle leaders with a subject responsibility, following staff changes and reorganisation. Some more established staff have had limited access to training to support them in their roles. Procedures to ensure that they have a maximum impact on their areas of responsibility through clear and realistic view of strengths and weaknesses in their areas of responsibility are not fully established. Consequently, their impact on school improvement is limited.  The acting headteacher, with the deputy headteacher, has very quickly established a clear and strategic vision for the school, which has ensured improvements in several areas despite a number of significant staff changes. A particularly key development is the introduction and use of incisive systems to accurately measure the progress of all groups of pupils and hold teachers more fully accountable for pupils’ achievement.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 There is now a common sense of purpose and staff and the governing body are enthusiastic and increasingly well placed to bring about improvements. Consequently, staff morale is high.  The local authority and diocesan education services provide good support to the school through rigorous external reviews and training for staff within the partnership of local schools.  The school provides a balanced and increasingly engaging curriculum. The intensive programmes for early reading are improving pupils' basic skills well.  The curriculum makes a good contribution to pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, they employ specialist coaching staff to work with teachers and to provide a wide range of clubs and team games. The new Primary School Sports funding is being used to further extend opportunities for pupils to participate in sporting activities and receive further specialist teaching. It is too soon to assess the impact of these developments.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school tackles rare issues of discrimination well and this contributes to the harmony within the school community. All pupils are treated equally, but not all make the same progress because the quality of teaching varies.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is led increasingly well and effectively informed through detailed reports from the acting headteacher. Since the last inspection, the governing body, with support from the local authority, has undertaken intensive training, particularly on the use of assessment data, and reviewed its effectiveness. As a result, the organisation and membership of the governing body is sharply focused on all aspects of school improvement. They have been proactive in ensuring secure and improving school leadership through a period of prolonged staffing difficulties. Governors are involved in the school's assessment of its own performance and have a clear understanding of the quality of teaching. They ensure priorities for

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The leadership and management requires improvement

improvement are focused on raising pupils’ achievement. For example, by careful scrutiny of the use of the improved assessment procedures to make certain that pupil premium and Primary School Sports funding are used effectively. They appropriately decide whether teachers and staff should be rewarded with salary increases and review targets for the acting headteacher.

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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 107319 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 425756

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 204 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paul Bland Headteacher Catherine Haigh Date of previous school inspection 5 March 2012 Telephone number 01274 679183 Fax number 01274 420516 Email address office@stpauls.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

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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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