Wakefield Pinders Primary (JIN) School

Wakefield Pinders Primary (JIN) School Eastmoor Road, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 3SQ

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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.  Pupils from different groups, including disabled pupils, those with special educational needs, those eligible for the pupil premium and pupils who speak English as an additional language, make good progress.  Children get a good start in the exciting Early Years Foundation Stage.  In 2013, the good progress made by pupils in Key Stage 2 was in the top 14% of schools nationally.  Teaching is good and sometimes outstanding.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well through the curriculum, extra visits and activities.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They are proud of their school and feel safe and happy there.  The headteacher provides strong leadership. She has developed a strong staff team, committed to and successful in improving the quality of teaching and raising achievement.  Parents speak highly of the school and are pleased with the way staff keep their children

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

safe and improve their learning.  Governors know the school well and are fully aware of its strengths and areas for development. They take their responsibilities very seriously and challenge senior leaders.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The quality of teaching is not of a sufficiently high quality to bring about outstanding achievement.  In a few lessons, activities are too easy and do not provide enough challenge. When this happens, pupils, especially the most able in writing, do not make enough progress.  Attendance is below average.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to write at length and practise their skills. Standards in writing are slightly below average and lower than reading and mathematics.  The role of the newly appointed middle leaders is not developed fully. They have not had sufficient opportunities to see how teaching in their subjects can improve.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 19 lessons, of which three observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher and two with the deputy headteacher. In addition, inspectors made a number of short visits to lessons and listened to pupils read.  Meetings were held with pupils from Year 1 to Year 6, the Chair, and vice-chair, of the Governing Body, senior leaders and middle leaders. Informal discussions were also held with pupils at break times and lunchtimes.  Responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) were too few to be meaningful. Inspectors held discussions with parents who brought their children to school at the start of the school day.  Inspectors also considered the views expressed in the 28 responses to the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors observed the school at work and scrutinised the work in pupils’ books, the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress, the school’s improvement plans, planning and monitoring

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Information about this inspection

information and minutes of governing body meetings. Records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding and child protection were also considered.

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Inspection team

Anthony Kingston, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Deane Additional Inspector Sandy Dixie Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Wakefield Pinders is an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported through 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 known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium (additional funding for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those from service families and those looked after by the local authority) is slightly above average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups or who speak English as an additional language is well above average. There is an increase in the number of pupils starting school at other than the usual time, often from Eastern European countries.  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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Information about this school

 The school has been successful in achieving Healthy School Status, Eco School Silver and Gold Awards and the Green Tree Award.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching and raise pupils’ attainment, especially in writing, by:  ensuring that there is always sufficient challenge in the work provided in lessons  increasing the progress of the most able pupils in writing so that even more reach above the level expected for their age  providing pupils with more well-planned opportunities to write at length in English and other subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by developing the skills of the newly appointed middle leaders and providing them with more opportunities to check on teaching and its impact on progress in the subjects for which they are responsible.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attendance by promoting the importance of the link between good attendance and good achievement with pupils and their families.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The majority of children start school with skills that are well below those typically expected for their age, especially in reading, writing and mathematics.  Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Due to improvements in teaching and well planned and exciting activities, progress has increased and many children now make rapid progress. Activities are set at just the right level for the children’s needs and they become inquisitive learners. As a result, attainment as they start in Year 1 is rising, with many reaching basic skills much closer to what is expected for their age.  Pupils continue to make good progress throughout Key Stage 1. Many have closed the gaps in their skills from when they started school and by the end of Year 2 reach the level expected of them in reading, writing and mathematics. Results of national tests were slightly below average because of the small but significant number of pupils who joined school at different times during

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The achievement of pupils is good

Years 1 and 2. These pupils had not all had the good start that other pupils had but made good progress.  Throughout Key Stage 2, progress is good. In 2013, the progress made by pupils in reading, writing and mathematics was in the top 14% of schools nationally. As a result, pupils’ standards in reading and mathematics are now securely in line with the national average by the end of Year 6. Despite many pupils making good progress, standards in writing are slightly below average. However, as in Key Stage 1, the results of national tests are distorted by the high proportion of pupils, many who are new to England, who joined the school in Years 5 and 6. These pupils make good progress but do not always reach the level expected of them as they have gaps in their skills and some have limited spoken English.  Standards in writing are not rising at the same rate as other subjects because pupils do not have

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The achievement of pupils is good

enough opportunities to apply their punctuation and grammar skills nor develop their flair for writing to extended pieces of work in English or other subjects.  Pupils are becoming more skilled in mathematics because teachers invariably provide pupils with challenges, often in the form of a question. This encourages pupils to apply their knowledge of mathematics to predict and hypothesise. For example, in a Year 5 class, pupils were challenged with the task of investigating rotational translations in four quadrants. Pupils relish this involvement in their learning, resulting in high levels of engagement and interest.  Reading is a priority throughout the school. Phonics (the sounds that letters make) is particularly well taught. The results of the screening check in phonics (letters and their sounds) at the end of Year 1 were above average in 2013. Pupils use these skills extremely well to sound out words

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The achievement of pupils is good

in sentences and to help them to spell. There are ample opportunities for older pupils to gain personal enjoyment from reading. Pupils read with understanding and gain real insight into moral and ethical issues within the text. One pupil reflecting on a passage from Suffragette by Carol Drinkwater commented, ‘Boys and girls are equal. Men and women are equal. Why shouldn’t everyone in the world be equal?’  The school checks that all pupils have equal opportunities. The needs of pupils are identified promptly and support added where it is most needed. As a result, all groups of pupils, including disabled pupils, those with special educational needs, pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language make good progress similar to, and often better than, that of their classmates.  The many pupils who join the school other than at the usual time are made most welcome. They

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The achievement of pupils is good

are often not only new to speaking English but also new to the country. These pupils settle happily and flourish. Although they make good progress, some do not reach as high a level as others who have benefited from good teaching throughout their time in school.  The most able pupils make good progress by the time they leave school. This is reflected in the gradual rise in the number of pupils reaching the higher Level 5 in reading and mathematics. In writing, their progress is not always fast enough because they do not move on quickly enough to writing at length. In some lessons throughout the school, these pupils are not set hard enough work and their progress slows.  The income received by the school to support pupils eligible for the pupil premium is spent judiciously, including on one-to-one tuition and employing additional teaching assistants. As a result, these pupils, including those known to be eligible for free school meals, flourish and make

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The achievement of pupils is good

progress equal to, and sometimes better than, that of their classmates. Consequently, their attainment is often above that of their classmates in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Recently appointed teachers and teaching assistants have brought new strengths that have added to the overall quality of teaching. As a result, the quality of teaching is good with some in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 being outstanding. This has accelerated pupils’ progress and many pupils enjoy learning and try hard.  Lessons are exciting and capture pupils’ imagination. This leads to pupils becoming enthusiastic and keen to learn. They gain in confidence and work extremely well in pairs, small groups and by themselves in the calm working atmosphere that teachers create in all lessons.  Assessment information is used well so that for most pupils, the work set is pitched at just the right level. This enables most groups of pupils to achieve well.  Pupils who start school in the early stages of learning to speak English as an additional language make good gains in their acquisition of English. This is because of the emphasis placed on

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The quality of teaching is good

speaking and listening and the effective support of teachers and teaching assistants.  Skilled and focused questioning enables pupils’ learning to be assessed swiftly. This allows relevant support to be provided for them to be moved on in their learning by more challenging activities. However, in some lessons, the work is too easy for pupils and this slows their progress, especially of the most able in writing.  Teachers have good subject knowledge which they share with pupils through clear, precise and lively explanations that capture pupils’ interests and promote understanding. For example, a Year 2 teacher’s animated and vivid description of marauding Vikings attacking the English shores brought to life the sense of fear and panic among villagers as the longships were spotted far out to sea.  Throughout the school, interesting and imaginative opportunities are provided for pupils to apply their reading, writing and mathematical skills to real-life activities. However, they do not always

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The quality of teaching is good

have enough opportunities to engage in extended pieces of writing in English or in other subjects. This limits the opportunities for some pupils to practise their skills and reach higher standards.  The school has invested in high numbers of teaching assistants to support pupils’ learning both inside and outside of the classroom. They work in excellent partnership with teachers, providing effective support to ensure the needs are met for disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and those who join the school mid-way through the school year. They are often responsible for small group and one-to-one tuition and these sessions boost pupils’ learning.  Pupils’ work is marked regularly and thoroughly. Detailed and challenging pointers are provided for pupils about how to improve their work. All pupils know their targets for improvement and talk about exactly what it is they need to do to reach a higher level in their work. Many pupils

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The quality of teaching is good

have high aspirations and express a desire to beat the already high expectations set by their teachers.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  The school places the pupils at the centre of all it does. It provides an exceptionally caring and supportive environment in which all pupils are valued. As a result, pupils are highly respectful, polite and courteous.  The excellent relationships between all staff and pupils create a harmonious learning community in which everyone is valued and embodies the school’s motto, ‘where we all smile in the same language and learn and achieve together.’  Behaviour in lessons is good. This is because pupils demonstrate an enthusiasm for learning and display high levels of perseverance. They respond immediately to the guidance and direction given by staff and, as a result, time for learning is rarely lost. However, occasionally, when the activities set are too easy or too difficult, pupils sometimes become a little restless. This is why behaviour is good rather than outstanding.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils willingly take on responsibilities. For example, they take great pride in representing their fellow pupils on the school council and relish the opportunities they are given to act as school ambassadors when showing visitors around the school. Pupils are keen to help and support their school. This was exemplified by a group of pupils who expressed their admiration for the Playground Buddies saying that they would apply for that responsibility when they were older.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe. For example, they know how to keep themselves safe on the internet and to whom they can turn to if they are upset or wish to share a concern. This is a view shared by parents.  They are aware of all the different forms of bullying. Consequently, the use of unpleasant language and incidents of bullying are extremely rare.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils understand what constitutes bullying and its different forms, including physical, emotional and cyber-bullying. They say that bullying very rarely occurs because they are taught to reflect on the impact of their actions on others, to take full responsibility for their personal conduct and that everyone in the school cares for one another. All parents who engaged in discussions with inspectors during the inspection agreed with these views. One parent reflected the views of many saying,’ The school has groups of people from all over the world. Many have different religious views and speak many different languages but we are one family.’  The headteacher works hard to resolve any difficulties for those parents whose circumstances could adversely affect their child’s performance at school. As a result, attendance has improved and continues to improve. However, despite the school’s best endeavours, there are still some

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

parents who do not recognise the importance of regular school attendance and, as a consequence, it remains below average.

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The leadership and management are good

 Under the strong, committed and caring leadership of the headteacher, governors and staff continuously strive for further improvement. The headteacher has successfully integrated new staff and developed a whole-school approach to change with a strong sense of purpose. As a result, a dip in attainment which occurred after the previous inspection was quickly stemmed and is now rising. The school is well placed to continue to improve.  Monitoring of teaching effectively identifies aspects that can be made better and all staff share the responsibility for identifying ways to improve their own practice, and contribute ideas about how to make sure their teaching is the best it can be. All staff willingly try new initiatives, evaluating whether these improve the pupils’ learning. Some middle leaders are newly appointed and their role in identifying the impact of teaching on progress in their subjects is not fully

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The leadership and management are good

established.  Teachers’ performance is managed well. All teachers and teaching assistants have targets, linked to priorities for school improvement and the progress pupils make. There are secure links between performance and pay awards. The school provides a good variety of training opportunities, including externally run courses, in-house training and personal coaching. All staff say that they are proud to work at the school and feel well-supported.  The thorough analysis of data on pupils’ progress and attainment leads to support being provided where it is most needed. This analysis plus the information from the checking of the quality of teaching informs the school’s priorities and ensures that self-evaluation is accurate. Actions are swift and clear in the school’s improvement plans. Checks on the impact of change are effective in ensuring that improvements are sustained.  The local authority provides appropriate challenge and support for the school. It has been a

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The leadership and management are good

critical friend in moving the school on since its last inspection, taking part in reviews and lesson observations.  The curriculum is organised well and takes pupils’ interests into account. It captures their imagination. Reading and mathematics are threaded successfully throughout the curriculum but the opportunities for pupils to apply and develop their writing are not so evident or as well structured.  Learning about other cultures, religions and countries is extremely well integrated into the school’s curriculum. This, the range of visits, visitors, musical, art, sporting activities and clubs make a positive contribution to pupils’ excellent spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The school makes good use of the additional primary school sports funding by promoting physical education and pupils’ health and well-being, by extending the range of sporting activities and clubs available to pupils, through competitions, and by the buying-in of time from a

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The leadership and management are good

specialist sports coach.  Parents are very proud and supportive of the school. This was exemplified by one parent who said, ‘I wanted and I found the best school in the world for my children.’ The school has carefully nurtured a culture in which pupils feel safe and in which teaching and behaviour can prosper. This ensures that parents can be confident in the education their children receive.  The governance of the school:  Governors are committed to the school. They have an accurate picture of how well the school is doing compared with other schools because they make regular visits to see the school at work and undertake training, for example, in data analysis. As a result, they question leaders knowledgeably about the progress of different groups of pupils and the quality of teaching. For example, they are taking a keen interest in pupils’ progress in writing to identify and resolve any concerns. They are very clear about the school’s strengths and weaknesses.

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The leadership and management are good

Finances are managed efficiently and governors account for the way extra funding, such as the pupil premium and the government’s funding for sports, is spent. They know that this spending benefits the pupils. Governors carefully assess the headteacher’s performance annually and link salary progression to teachers’ performance. Safeguarding and child protection have a high priority and governors ensure that all their statutory duties are carried out and requirements are met.

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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 108210 Local authority Wakefield Inspection number 440788

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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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 251 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sue Rigby Headteacher Julie Mills Date of previous school inspection 8 March 2011 Telephone number 01924 303700 Fax number 01924 303701 Email address headteacher@pinders.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

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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