Darley Dale Primary School

Darley Dale Primary School Greenaway Lane, Hackney, Matlock, DE4 2QB

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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.  Darley Dale inspires pupils to thrive in all aspects of their academic achievement and personal development.  Pupils achieve exceptionally well. Year 6 pupils in 2013 attained highly. Pupils in other year groups make rapid progress.  Teachers are highly skilled. Their carefully planned lessons constantly challenge pupils to do their best. They plan imaginative work which provides pupils with a rich array of memorable experiences. These tasks enthuse pupils and help to ensure that their attainment is invariably well above average by the end of Years 2 and 6.  Teachers develop pupils’ personal qualities and teamwork skills to the full. This enables pupils to work very successfully in partnership with teachers to extend their learning.  Teachers know how well pupils’ are doing and use this information expertly to either extend or support their learning. Exemplary marking in Years 5 and 6 reflects the teachers’ high

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

expectations and provides detailed guidance for pupils to help them to improve their work.  Pupils are highly motivated and work exceptionally well together. They repay staff’s trust in them through their outstanding behaviour in lessons and by trying their best.  Excellent relationships enable pupils to work together very effectively, unaided by staff. They help each other to succeed. They are mature, reflective learners. They listen respectfully to each other’s contributions and analyse their own and each other’s work constructively. They accept any identified points for improvement with good grace.  Pupils contribute enthusiastically to school life and the wider community through the many posts of responsibility they fulfil. They feel entirely safe in school.  The headteacher, ably assisted by other key leaders and governors, leads teaching and learning exceptionally well. His skilful direction enables staff to develop their skills and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

expertise continuously. Leaders and teachers make successful use of coaching and partnerships to learn from other teachers and to support staff in other schools.  Together, all staff and governors create an exceptional environment in which to learn. This ensures that pupils are very well prepared for the next stage in their education.  The school has detailed plans for using the new primary sports funding but they are not sharp enough.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 18 lessons taught by 10 teachers or teaching assistants. Five of these lessons were observed together with the headteacher or assistant headteacher.  Samples of pupils’ work in English were analysed. Inspectors listened to pupils reading.  Meetings were held with school staff, a group of pupils, three governors and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 15 questionnaires completed by staff and the 44 responses by parents to the online questionnaire Parent View. Responses to the school’s own recent survey of parents’ views about the school were also considered. An inspector spoke informally to some parents at the beginning of the school day.  Inspectors looked at a range of evidence including: the work in pupils’ books; monitoring records; school improvement plans; the school’s own data on pupils’ attainment and progress; consultants’ reports; and policies, procedures and records relating to safeguarding, behaviour

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Inspection team

Derek Aitken, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Janet Bird Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than most primary schools. All pupils are taught in single-age classes.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. No pupil is currently at an early stage of speaking English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium, which is additional funding for certain groups such as those known to be eligible for free school meals, is well below average.  The proportions of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action, school action plus or a statement of special educational needs are well below average.  Since 2006 the headteacher has been a designated National Leader of Education (NLE), and the school has acted as a National Support School. During these seven years the school has worked with several schools to improve their standards of teaching and quality of leadership.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Refine the plans for using the new primary sports funding by:  ensuring that teachers’ skills in teaching physical education are enhanced  using appropriate methods for measuring the effectiveness of this expenditure and its impact on pupils’ health and fitness.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 All groups of pupils achieve exceptionally well in their time in the school. Year 6 pupils in 2013 attained high standards in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children join Reception with skills and aptitudes that are broadly typical for this age group. They make good progress over the year and pupils’ attainment when they start Year 1 is a little above average. They make outstanding progress in both key stages. Standards have been maintained at well-above average levels for several years.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 In 2013 over half the Year 6 pupils achieved the higher Level 5 in reading, writing and mathematics combined. More-able pupils do well. The proportion of pupils achieving the highest Level 6 in mathematics was well above the national average. The proportions of pupils in this year group who made or exceeded the progress expected nationally over Key Stage 2 compared very favourably with national figures in writing and mathematics and favourably in reading.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 There were too few pupils in Year 6 in 2013 known to be eligible for the pupil premium for their performance to be compared without potentially identifying them. Their progress is similar to that of their classmates.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make rapid progress because they receive skilled support that is precisely matched to their needs. Their personalised work programmes ensure that they succeed in line with their abilities and enjoy their education to the full.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The carefully planned, imaginative curriculum provides pupils with a rich array of exciting, memorable experiences. It fosters their personal and social development exceptionally well and ensures their whole-hearted participation in their learning. In Year 2 more-able pupils write accurately and vividly about the hardships endured by soldiers during the Crimean War. Year 3 pupils talk knowledgeably about the lives of Anne Frank and her family. Year 5 pupils perform lengthy Greek raps and write persuasive, amusing accounts about Spartan life.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Less-able pupils in Year 2 read fluently and with expression. They have good strategies for coping with unfamiliar words, can predict how a story will unfold and answer questions on their texts confidently. Year 6 pupils re-use the teacher’s ‘difficult’ vocabulary to justify their responses to texts and demonstrate real enthusiasm for unpicking the meaning of stories.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching is outstanding because teachers have strong expectations for pupils’ progress and organise lessons very carefully to ensure pupils acquire knowledge and reinforce new skills rapidly. Lesson planning demonstrates staff’s secure subject knowledge and builds carefully on pupils’ prior learning.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers plan stimulating, purposeful activities which motivate pupils highly. For example, Reception staff assembled an imaginative range of materials to enable children to create rafts for their gingerbread men.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers are adept at enlisting pupils as full partners in learning as they constantly re-shape tasks and questions in the light of pupils’ responses, to develop their understanding. Teachers intervene at well-chosen moments to summarise pupils’ learning and to ensure that lessons move at a brisk pace.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers and teaching assistants develop pupils’ teamwork skills exceptionally well. Many lessons are consciously planned to enable pupils to support each other’s learning; for example, through pairing boys and girls, and through more-able pupils working with the less able. Teachers in Years 5 and 6 provide ample opportunities for pupils to examine critically and to comment constructively on their own work and that of their peers. Excellent relationships and astute questioning ensure that pupils develop their speaking and listening skills well.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers link topics well together to enable pupils to make connections in their learning and to develop their reasoning skills. This enabled Year 1 pupils to understand some of the properties of pyramid shapes while Year 6 pupils worked painstakingly through a series of options to arrive at suitable costings for a trip to the pantomime.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 All these strengths in teaching were demonstrated in an outstanding Year 5 lesson where the teacher made excellent use of assessment and questioning to prepare pupils for their performance of a Greek rap poem.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers provide pupils with detailed, informative marking clearly linked to their ‘steps for success’. One-to-one discussions focus pupils on the strategies they need to use to improve the quality of their writing. Pupils know their targets and use key subject terminology confidently during responses and commentaries to explain what they have learnt.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils bubble with enthusiasm for learning. They develop a mature and serious approach to their work. They appreciate the help they receive from their teachers and their peers to do their best.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 From an early age pupils learn how to build strong relationships with each other and staff. Staff manage pupils sensitively and courteously and this leads to pupils feeling happy, safe and secure. This sense of well-being is reflected in pupils’ well above-average attendance.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Excellent lesson planning encourages pupils to become self-aware, resilient learners. Pupils say they value the teamwork ethic that staff instil, as evidenced for example in the ‘Apprentice’-type projects they engage in during the highly popular ‘wow weeks’. They comment on each other’s work without fear or favour, knowing that any adverse criticism will be welcomed positively as constructive advice by their peers. At the same time, they enjoy demonstrating their talents in humorous contexts, as reflected in the creative writing of ‘Savage Spartans’ Survival Guides’.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils go the extra mile by making telling contributions to classroom activities and by seizing the opportunity to show their talents in the performing arts. This was superbly demonstrated in the fast-paced, inventive infants’ Christmas production. A parent from the very large audience said ‘I come every year. It’s always up to this standard. Pupils are word-perfect. It is a highlight of my family’s life.’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ enjoyment of their lessons, good recall of information and well-developed communication skills incline them to listen carefully in lessons, collaborate enthusiastically with their classmates in lessons and in their various clubs and draw every ounce of learning from them.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The responses of nearly all parents who contributed their views during the inspection indicate a high level of satisfaction with the ways in which the school promotes pupils’ well-being, good behaviour and safety.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils fully uphold the school’s ‘Respect’ motto. There have been no exclusions for over three years. Pupils say that there is no bullying and that ‘teachers would stamp on any such incident’. They acquire a clear understanding of road, water and fire safety.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils willingly accept responsibilities to help the school and others; for example, residents in the local care homes. The school council is fully involved in plans for designing school rewards and purchasing equipment for the new school yards, while Year 5 pupils run healthy tuck-shops to raise money for their residential visits.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The highly experienced headteacher and his well-established leadership team are relentless in their drive to improve and are highly ambitious for pupils and staff. Clear priorities for the future are set. The school has successfully tackled the few issues raised at the previous inspection and, in so doing, raised pupils’ achievement and teaching to outstanding levels.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Systems, which take full account of the Teachers’ Standards, are used very well to check the effectiveness and consistency of teaching. Staff benefit from frequent coaching opportunities and, through partnerships with other schools, bring back new ideas and spread good practice. Training for staff matches the needs of the school and raises teaching skills. Staff morale is strong.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Middle leaders are reflective practitioners. They check the curriculum closely, adapt new initiatives wisely to tackle any relative weaknesses in pupils’ basic skills and share their expertise willingly with colleagues.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Leaders create a harmonious and well-run school where all pupils and staff are valued. The progress of every pupil is regularly checked to identify any who are not on track to achieve highly, reflecting the school’s commitment to equality of opportunity. Pupils’ targets are regularly reviewed and re-adjusted. Challenging targets for the attainment and progress of Year 6 pupils in 2013 were met or exceeded.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The well-planned, tried-and-tested curriculum is a key component of pupils’ exceptional achievement. Staff constantly seek new ways to make learning a rewarding, memorable experience for pupils. They foster pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well through their personal example and their teaching.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Pupil premium funding has been used wisely, for example, for one-to-one tuition and extra reading resources to help close the academic gaps for eligible pupils and, for a few targeted pupils, to improve their social interactions with their peers.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The local authority has a secure overview of the quality of education provided by the school and has, since the previous inspection, sensibly focused its support on the few areas where the school has required extra support.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Detailed plans have been drawn up to spend recent funding intended for the development of physical education to increase pupils’ participation in competitive sport and to improve their fitness. These plans do not focus sufficiently on improving the skills of staff in teaching physical education, nor do they ensure that any impact of this expenditure on pupils’ health and fitness can be precisely measured.  The governance of the school:  The governing body brings a useful range of skills to the school and, through the careful appointment of new governors, constantly seeks to extend the breadth of its expertise. Key governors have completed recently a series of helpful training courses. Governors are ambitious for the school, plan strategically to ensure its continuing improvement and work closely with staff in pursuit of agreed aims.  Through the headteacher’s detailed reports, their regular visits and discussions with subject

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The leadership and management are outstanding

leaders, governors have acquired an accurate view of pupils’ achievement and priorities for further improvement. In the light of this information they set appropriate targets for the headteacher’s performance. They have a secure knowledge of the quality of teaching and how this and the extra responsibilities which staff undertake relate to any pay rises.  Governors keep a close eye on pupil premium spending and its impact on pupils’ progress.  They ensure that national requirements for safeguarding are met fully.

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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 112591 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 425069

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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 196 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Diane Peet Headteacher Peter Hughes Date of previous school inspection 3 December 2008 Telephone number 01629 732226 Fax number 01629 733285 Email address info@darleydale.derbyshire.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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