Sandal Castle VA Community Primary School

Sandal Endowed Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School Barnsley Road, Sandal, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF2 6AS

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Inadequate 4 Achievement of pupils Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of pupils Inadequate 4 Leadership and management Inadequate 4

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires special measures.  The school’s effectiveness has declined considerably since the last inspection. Leaders have not tackled weaknesses in teaching and arrangements to check and improve the quality of teaching lack rigour.  Actions by leaders and governors to improve pupils’ achievement have been ineffective. As a result of this, pupils’ achievement has declined and is now inadequate in writing and mathematics.  Pupils begin Year 3 with standards of attainment in English and mathematics that are typically above average and by the end of Year 6 are below average.  Pupils’ work fails to provide the right level of challenge to ensure they achieve what they are capable of achieving.  Expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving are too low. It is not made clear enough to pupils in the marking how to improve their work.  Too much learning fails to motivate or interest pupils. Some pupils become bored and disrupt

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

the learning of others.  The school’s ability to improve relies heavily on the work of the headteacher. Other senior and middle leaders are unclear of their roles and responsibilities. Their skills to bring about rapid improvements are underdeveloped.  Leaders have an inaccurate view of the school’s performance. They do not review the data on pupils’ achievement, including that of the different groups, well enough to tell them how the school is performing when drawing up plans for improvement.  Governors have failed to ensure pupils’ safety. The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is inadequate. Health and safety policies and procedures are not followed at all times.  Governors do not hold leaders to account sufficiently or challenge them robustly enough about the school’s performance, including the impact of the use of pupil premium funding.

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The school has the following strengths

 There is effective support for those pupils who attend the ‘Sparks Nurture Room’ for additional social and emotional support.  Pupils say they feel safe in the school and know how to keep themselves safe.  The school provides a good range of clubs, which are enjoyed by pupils. Inspection report: Sandal Endowed Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School, 25–26 February 2014 2 of 11

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 15 parts of lessons and a whole-school assembly. One lesson was jointly observed with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with a group of teaching assistants, senior and middle leaders, seven members of the governing body and a telephone conversation was held with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors met with parents at the beginning and at the end of the school day. They held discussions with two parents on the telephone.  Inspectors spoke with pupils formally and informally throughout the inspection.  Inspectors listened to pupils reading in Years 3 and 6.  Inspectors looked at a range of documents, such as the minutes of governing body meetings, the school’s view of its own performance, the school’s current data, child protection and safeguarding arrangements and the work in pupils’ books.  Inspectors took account of the 26 views of parents who completed the Ofsted’s online

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Information about this inspection

questionnaire, Parent View, and also took into consideration 13 questionnaires completed by staff.  Inspectors made a brief visit to the school’s breakfast and after-school club.

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Inspection team

Sharona Semlali, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sharon Bruton Additional Inspector Don Parker Additional Inspector Inspection report: Sandal Endowed Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School, 25–26 February 2014 3 of 11

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Full report

In accordance with section 44 of the Education Act 2005 (as amended), Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than the average-sized primary school. The number of pupils on roll has increased since the previous inspection.  The school became federated with Castle Grove Infant School in 2009, at which time the headteacher of the infant school became responsible for both schools. Both schools are to be amalgamated in April 2015. Building work was taking place on site at the time of the inspection.  There have been a number of staff changes since the last inspection.  The headteacher is a National Leader of Education.  A large majority of pupils are from a White British background.  The proportion of pupils who are from a minority ethnic backgrounds and the proportion of pupils who have English as an additional language are broadly average. They come from varying backgrounds. Pakistani is the largest group.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is well above average. The proportion

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Information about this school

supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium is above average. The pupil premium is extra funding for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those from service families and those pupils who are looked after by the local authority.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school provides a breakfast and after-school club.  The school has the Association for Physical Education Quality Mark Award with distinction.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the quality of teaching is at least consistently good or better to accelerate pupils’ progress in English and mathematics by ensuring that: - any inadequate teaching that exists is eradicated - good use is made of information from assessing pupils’ learning to plan work that meets their varying needs and abilities and that it is made clear to pupils what they are expected to learn from this work - learning motivates, engages and challenges pupils enough in their work so that they achieve well and their attitudes to learning and their behaviour are always good - pupils are given more opportunities to practise their writing skills, including writing longer pieces of work in subjects other than English, and by insisting that written work is always of the highest standard pupils are capable of achieving Inspection report: Sandal Endowed Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School , 25–26 February 2014 4 of 11

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

- providing more opportunities for pupils to use their mathematical skills to solve problems and to practise them across the curriculum subjects - all work is marked regularly and gives pupils clear guidance on the next steps they need to take to improve their learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that rigorous and robust systems in place to check that the school’s health and safety policies and procedures are adhered to at all times.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leaders at all levels, including governance, in order to secure rapid improvements and to hold teachers to account by: - ensuring that all leaders are clear about their roles and responsibilities so they can help to drive improvements in their areas and so that the responsibility for doing so does not rely too heavily on the headteacher - strengthening arrangements to check and improve the quality of teaching - providing support and training for all leaders, including governors, so that they can effectively analyse data about the performance of the different groups of pupils and evaluate whether any funding spent is making a positive difference.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

Ofsted will make recommendations on governance to the authority responsible for the school. Inspection report: Sandal Endowed Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School, 25–26 February 2014 5 of 11

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 In 2011 and 2012, the overall standards attained in English and mathematics by pupils at the end of Year 6 was significantly below average. Although standards improved to broadly average in 2013, this still meant that pupils made inadequate progress from their typically above average starting points. School data and inspection evidence shows that pupils currently in the school are underachieving in writing and in mathematics.  The achievement of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is inadequate. Although some make expected progress, others underachieve. This is because they receive poor teaching over time. However, some of these pupils who attend the `Sparks Nurture Room’ make good progress in their social and emotional development as a result of effective support and the good use of some of the pupil premium funding.  Overall, pupils supported by the pupil premium funding underachieve despite this extra funding.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

In 2013, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in Year 6 were about two terms behind other pupils in the standards they reached in mathematics and writing and about one term behind in reading. Although this gap in standards is similar to the gap seen between these groups nationally, too few of the supported pupils made the expected rate of progress compared to similar pupils nationally, especially in mathematics. School data and inspection evidence shows that the rate of progress of those known to be eligible for free school meals throughout the year groups and subjects is typically slower than those pupils who are not eligible.  Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language make inadequate progress. The majority of these pupils achieve significantly less well in comparison to their peers nationally and to other pupils in the school.  While standards in writing in Year 6 in 2013 improved and were broadly average, over a quarter

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

of those pupils who left at the end of Year 6 in 2013, did not make the progress expected of them nationally. The most able pupils made inadequate progress from their starting points in writing. Too many of the most able pupils did not reach the higher Level 5 at the end of Year 6. Pupils’ writing skills are held back because they are not given enough opportunities to write for extended periods of time in subjects other than in English. The quality of handwriting and presentation of pupils’ work varies between the different classes.  Pupils underachieve in mathematics. In Year 6 in 2013, too many pupils did not make the progress expected of them in this subject. Even though the proportion of the most able pupils achieving the higher Level 5 was above average and standards went up, a significant proportion of other pupils still underachieved from their previous starting points. The school’s data and

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

inspection evidence show that pupils currently in Years 3, 4 and 5 are also not making enough progress. Although pupils have a good recall of number facts, they lack confidence and ability in applying them to solve mathematical problems.  Standards in reading in Year 6 also improved in 2013 and were broadly average. More pupils make better progress in reading and, as a result, an above average proportion of the most able pupils reach the higher Level 5 in this subject. Pupils’ favourite books are displayed well around the school and pupils enjoy reading and do so often. However, progress in reading is still not good because opportunities to deepen pupils’ understanding of the text they are reading during sessions where pupils read in small groups with adults, are sometimes missed.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Teaching over time has not been strong enough to ensure pupils make adequate progress. Too much teaching requires improvement or is inadequate. There is too little good teaching to quickly speed up pupils’ progress and make up for past underachievement.  The varying needs and abilities of pupils are not well met. Pupils are unclear what it is they will learn from the activities provided. Inspection report: Sandal Endowed Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School , 25–26 February 2014 6 of 11

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 The work given to pupils often lacks challenge, including for the most able pupils. Too many pupils finish their work quickly because expectations of what they are capable of achieving are too low. At these times, some pupils become easily distracted and bored, causing disruption to their learning, and that of other pupils.  The quality of marking is inadequate. Some pupils’ books have not been marked for a long time. This prevents teachers having a thorough enough understanding of what pupils know and can do. As a result, pupils continue to make the same errors. While some work is marked, in these instances, pupils do not receive clear enough guidance on the steps they need to take next in order to improve. New ways of marking are being trialled, aimed at ensuring pupils know when they are doing well and how to improve. However, these recent changes are yet to make any significant impact on improving pupils’ learning.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 The teaching of writing is inadequate. Pupils are not given enough opportunities to write in order to practise and improve their handwriting, spelling, and punctuation and grammatical skills through, for example, writing in subjects across the curriculum or extended pieces of writing. Pupils’ written work is not of a high enough standard.  In mathematics, pupils are not given enough opportunities to use and apply mathematics skills, either to solve problems or practise them in other subjects, so that more meaningful links are made to real-life events.  Teaching assistants work well in encouraging pupils attending the `Sparks Nurture Room’ to confidently describe their feelings, which contributes well to their development of social and emotional skills.  In mathematics, Year 6 pupils were effectively questioned and this helped them to learn well and gain a good understanding of how to solve simple algebraic equations. Pupils’ thoughts were

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

challenged well through these questions which deepened their understanding. Similarly, in a Year 5 class, pupils were encouraged to share their answers in pairs about what it was like to live in Anne Frank’s Annex using their senses of smell, see, hear and feel. This ensured that pupils were well involved in their learning and as a result made good progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are inadequate

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is inadequate. Leaders have not ensured that the potential safety risks around the site have been identified and the school’s procedures reviewed carefully enough. This includes ensuring pupils’ safety during recent building works. Some urgent changes needed to take place during the inspection to significantly strengthen security and access to the school and to the swimming pool.  Nevertheless, pupils say they feel safe and have confidence in all adults to resolve any issues they bring to their attention. They have a clear understanding about the different forms of bullying and they know how to keep themselves safe when using the internet.  The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. This is because where learning fails to engage pupils, the behaviour of a few pupils deteriorates as they become disengaged in their learning.  Pupils say they have a desire for more challenge in their learning. They say a few misbehave in

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are inadequate

lessons because they are bored. They say that a few pupils display poor behaviour and they put up with it. Almost one-third of parents who responded to the online questionnaire felt that pupils’ behaviour is not good enough and inspectors agree.  At break times there is occasionally some exuberant behaviour displayed by a few pupils, which is not always challenged or corrected by the adults who are supervising them. At lunchtime, pupils are fairly settled in the dining hall. They are free to choose where they want to sit and do so sensibly.  Pupils take pride in keeping their classrooms tidy and with their responsibilities. For example, pupils are sports leaders at lunchtimes and help to organise games. They are appreciative of the additional clubs that are available at break times.  Attendance is broadly average. This is the second year of improvement because the school’s enforcement of its attendance policy is effectively tackling any pupils’ absence.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are inadequate

Inspection report: Sandal Endowed Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School , 25–26 February 2014 7 of 11

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are inadequate

 The breakfast club provides a healthy start to the day for those pupils who use this facility. The after-school club offers a range of activities that help pupils to have fun.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 Leaders and governors lack the ability to improve the school quickly enough to ensure good achievement for all pupils. Consequently, too many pupils are underachieving. Leaders’ actions to prevent the school’s decline since the last inspection have failed. They have not made the necessary improvements, including attending to the issues arising from the last inspection. Furthermore, systems to check whether health and safety procedures and policies are followed at all times, so that pupils are kept safe, lack rigour. Consequently, the school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is inadequate.  Too much of the responsibility, including the checks on the effectiveness of the school and for driving improvements forward, rest with the headteacher. The headteacher has yet to ensure that other leaders and governors are clear enough about their roles and responsibilities and are trained well enough so that they have the skills to fulfil their duties, to check on the school’s

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The leadership and management are inadequate

performance or to bring about the necessary improvements to teaching or achievement. Leaders’ skills in reviewing data about the performance of pupils, including those of different groups of pupils, and within subjects, are underdeveloped. This means that underachievement is not always identified.  The school’s view of its performance, including the quality of teaching, is inaccurate and over generous. This shows that the leadership of teaching is inadequate. Arrangements to check and improve the quality of teaching lack rigour and are not carried out regularly enough to make rapid improvements to its quality. Weaknesses in teaching, therefore, such as pupils’ work not being marked for long periods, have not been identified or attended to quickly enough. Teachers have received automatic incremental pay rises even though the impact of teaching on pupils’ progress has been inadequate over time. Not enough is being done to hold staff to account for

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The leadership and management are inadequate

the progress of pupils or to ensure that the quality of teaching improves.  Newly qualified teachers should not be appointed.  The curriculum offers a number of learning experiences beyond the school. For example, at the time of the inspection, Year 4 pupils visited a museum to develop their historical knowledge about the Victorians. Pupils enjoy participating in the after-school clubs, such as cross training, which helps to build their fitness. The art club enables pupils to explore producing words about their school using different types of font. However, there is too little focus on developing pupils’ basic skills, particularly in writing and mathematics across different subjects and as a result, the curriculum is inadequate.  The pupil premium funding is not used to good effect and leaders and governors fail to review the impact of spending this funding well enough and this shows that the school’s efforts to

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The leadership and management are inadequate

promote equality of opportunity are ineffective.  The school has been externally recognised for the way it promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through offering, for example, a variety of musical experiences, displays and assemblies. However, given the weaker behaviour exhibited by some pupils, not all have developed fully their social and moral skills.  The new primary school sport funding is spent on staff training, for example, by teachers attending external courses, so they become more confident in teaching physical education. However, leaders and governors are yet to review the impact this is having, for example, on increasing pupils’ participation in sport or on their health and well-being.  Parents who spoke with inspectors during the inspection were mainly satisfied with most aspects of the school’s work. However, the majority of parents who responded to Parent View do not feel

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The leadership and management are inadequate

that they receive valuable information about their child’s progress. Over one-third would not recommend the school to another parent. Leaders and governors do not routinely seek their views.  The local authority has provided only light-touch support since the last inspection. It has been unaware of the extent of the weaknesses in teaching, pupils’ achievement and in the quality of Inspection report: Sandal Endowed Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School , 25–26 February 2014 8 of 11

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The leadership and management are inadequate

the school’s leadership. Consequently, they have had a very limited impact on helping the school to improve. The local authority has now taken prompt action following the inspection findings and are already providing additional support to strengthen the arrangements to ensure pupils’ safety.  The governance of the school: - Governors have failed to carry out their statutory responsibilities to ensure that the school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is adequate. - The governing body do not have the necessary knowledge and skills to hold leaders and managers robustly to account for the school’s performance, pupils’ poor achievements and for weak teaching. This is because governors’ understanding of the information about the school’s performance, including how it compares with other schools, is underdeveloped. - A few governors visit the school, for example, to lead an assembly and support pupils in the

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The leadership and management are inadequate

Sparks Nurture Room. However, overall, governors are too reliant on information given to them by the headteacher to form their view of the school’s effectiveness and do not check it well enough for themselves. - Governors’ understanding of the implications of the Teachers’ Standards is still developing. Consequently, they have not ensured that leaders’ and teachers’ pay awards have been linked well enough to the progress pupils make nor to the quality of teaching. - Governors do not have a good enough knowledge of how the pupil premium funding is allocated and the impact it is having on pupils’ progress and standards. - Governing body members, recognise the need to develop their skills and have a better understanding of how to carry out their roles to good effect. This is why they enlisted support from the local authority, who recently conducted a review of their effectiveness. They are now in the process of recruiting new governors who have the necessary skills to develop their

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The leadership and management are inadequate

understanding about the school’s performance data in order to provide more effective challenge and to hold school leaders to account. Inspection report: Sandal Endowed Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School, 25–26 February 2014 9 of 11

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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. Inspection report: Sandal Endowed Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School, 25–26 February 2014 10 of 11

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School details

Unique reference number 108270 Local authority Wakefield Inspection number 440789

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 286 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Samantha Wade Headteacher Nichola Russell Date of previous school inspection 14 June 2011 Telephone number 01924 303525 Fax number 01924 303527 Email address headteacher@sandal.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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