Nields Junior Infant and Nursery School

School report Nields Junior, Infant and Nursery School Nields ROad, Slaithwaite, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD7 5HT

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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.  Attainment is rising and pupils achieve well. Most pupils make at least expected progress and many do even better, particularly in reading and mathematics.  Most teaching is good and some is outstanding. This is due to the strong leadership of teaching and learning.  Pupils behave well and their consistently above-average attendance reflects their enjoyment of school life. Pupils say they feel very safe and happy in school.  Leaders and managers regularly check the progress pupils are making. They identify those who need additional support quickly and provide extra help to stop them falling behind.  Governors use their skills well to help support and challenge the leadership team. They are closely involved in helping the school to improve further.  The school provides many memorable experiences which support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development particularly well.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils in the ‘Chicken Crew’ enjoy looking after the school chickens and selling the eggs, and pupils benefit from strong links with a school in Africa and have great fun playing their African drums!  In the very high level of care provided the school is amply fulfilling its motto to encourage pupils to: ‘Reach for the stars and fly to the moon!’

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet outstanding and opportunities to share the best teaching practice are underdeveloped.  Occasionally, teachers do not move the most able pupils onto more difficult work swiftly enough.  Pupils’ progress in writing is not as fast as their progress in reading and mathematics. The quality and presentation of pupils’ writing is not always as good as it could be.  Marking in many classes helps pupils improve the quality of their work, but this is not always the case

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 14 lessons and made several other short visits to lessons to observe teaching and learning. Three lesson observations were conducted jointly with the headteacher.  Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work, observed break times, and listened to pupils read.  Meetings were held with pupils, school staff, senior leaders, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  A number of documents were examined. They included the school’s view of its own performance, records of the checks made on teaching and learning, the school improvement plan, information about pupils’ progress and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  Inspectors took account of the 17 responses on the online questionnaire (Parent View). They also took account of the views of parents through the school’s own questionnaires and correspondence they received from parents.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors analysed the 22 response from staff to the inspection questionnaire about the school.

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Inspection team

Fiona Gowers, Lead inspector Additional Inspector James Reid Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium is broadly average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.  Most pupils are of White British heritage and very few speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action is broadly average. However, the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  There have been a significant number of staff changes since the previous inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching from good to outstanding so that pupils’ achievement continues to improve, particularly in writing and for the most able pupils by:  swiftly moving the most able pupils onto more difficult work as soon as they are ready  ensuring there are consistently high expectations regarding the quality, content and presentation of pupils’ written work in every class  ensuring pupils receive clear guidance on how to improve their writing and that they are given sufficient opportunities to act upon the marking and feedback provided  increasing opportunities for staff to see, and learn from, the best teaching practice in school and in other schools.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 There is a very wide spread of ability amongst children when they start school. Many children start school with skills that are typically below those expected for their age, although some children’s skills are higher.  Children clearly love many of the stimulating activities in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Most make good progress and some do even better, particularly in reading, writing, and mathematics, and in their personal, social and emotional development.  Standards at Key Stages 1 and 2 fluctuate from year to year because of the vastly differing starting points of pupils in each class.  Attainment at Key Stage 1 was broadly average in 2013 in reading, mathematics and writing.  At Key Stage 2, attainment dipped in 2013 from above average to broadly average overall and a little below average in writing. However, scrutiny of pupils’ progress data since the previous inspection and of work in pupils’ current workbooks show these are not typical results for the

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The achievement of pupils is good

school. Nevertheless, senior leaders took swift action to increase pupils’ progress and standards are rising again at every key stage.  The school’s consistent approach to the teaching of reading and writing skills is paying dividends. Many pupils have a good grasp of letters and the sounds they make and know how to structure their written work well. Most pupils grow into confident and expressive readers by the time they leave school.  An emphasis on pupils solving ‘real life’ problems in mathematics is helping pupils gain a more thorough grounding in key mathematical skills and concepts.  The school fosters good relations and discrimination is not tolerated. The school endeavours to ensure that all pupils have equal opportunities to succeed. As a result previous gaps between how well different groups are doing are closing.  The most able pupils make faster progress in some classes than in others. This is because, in

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The achievement of pupils is good

some classes, more is expected of them. Indeed the proportion of pupils attaining the above- average levels in tests and assessments is rising. However, in a few classes, expectations for the brightest pupils are not as high as they could be and some do not always reach the standards that they should.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are very much known as individuals. The support provided helps them make as much progress as others in school, relative to their starting points.  Pupil premium funding is used well. The most recent test results at the end of Year 6 showed that the attainment of pupils eligible for the funding was two terms behind in writing, reading and mathematics. However, most pupils throughout school, who are eligible for the additional funding, make as much progress as other pupils in school and many do even better and this is helping the gaps in their relative attainment to narrow in some classes. They particularly benefit

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The achievement of pupils is good

from the very strong pastoral support provided.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most teaching is good and some is outstanding. A scrutiny of pupils’ work throughout school and the school’s own records confirm the quality of teaching is typically good.  Most teachers are skilled at questioning pupils and this gets them thinking hard. Pupils have plenty of opportunity to talk about their work, which promotes confidence in speaking and a wide ranging vocabulary.  There are examples of highly effective teaching in every key stage. In such cases, expectations are very high. Pupils’ learning comes on in leaps and bounds, because the range of activities on offer continues to interest and challenge pupils throughout each lesson.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage many children demonstrated a real thirst for learning and were thrilled to find out that their class ‘treasure chest’ was overflowing with jewels because they were behaving so well. Many stayed engaged in their learning for extended periods of time,

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The quality of teaching is good

as they carefully explored different types of fish, and moved streamers and played percussion instruments to show how a piece of music made them feel. Other children enjoyed making a fish game with magnets and explained: ‘It’s sticking to the magnet because it’s got a metal bit on it.’  In Key Stage 1, pupils were fascinated to discover more about famous historical figures by exploring a range of portraits. They identified features from each painting, which they thought showed why each person might have been a king or a queen and then considered how each person might have moved or spoken. Such memorable and engaging activities helped pupils gain a good understanding of the key historical skills and knowledge.  Older pupils in Key Stage 2 were challenged to draw a scale plan of their classroom with a view of turning it into an American diner! The activity inspired them to extend their understanding of

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The quality of teaching is good

scale and use their multiplication tables. They used great precision in their work and worked very well in teams with each other.  Mathematical calculations procedures have been clarified, so adults in school teach a consistent approach. Teachers encourage pupils to explain how they have worked something out and this means they are better able to apply their mathematical skills and knowledge.  Many pupils are developing a love of reading from an early age. Younger pupils really enjoy reading regularly with their ‘reading buddy’, for example.  Nevertheless, not all teaching helps pupils learn as well. Occasionally, the most able pupils are not moved onto more difficult work quickly enough and so they fail to reach their full potential.  There are some very good examples of marking, which help pupils to make faster progress. However, not all marking is of the same high quality. In some classes, marking does not always

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The quality of teaching is good

highlight where pupils have made mistakes and pupils do not always have the opportunity to respond to the feedback that is provided. As a result pupils sometimes continue to repeat the same errors.  The focus for pupils’ written work is generally linked to their themed class topic and pupils are given many reasons and ideas that motivate them to write. In some classes, pupils’ written work is consistently well presented and teachers expect pupils to always try their best and work hard. However, expectations of the amount of writing and the quality and content of the work produced are not always high enough.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are very friendly and polite. Most pupils conduct themselves extremely well in school. Classrooms are calm, hard-working and purposeful.  Pupils are very proud of their school and feel their views are listened to and that they have a key role to play in improving their school. The school council is involved in staff interviews, checks to see if any pupils have expressed worries in the ‘wibble box’ and instigated the development of the ‘tyre park’, for example.  Most pupils try hard with their work. They respond respectfully to instructions from an adult and work very well in teams with others. However, some pupils sit back, at times, and let others do all the hard work.  Although many pupils complete their work to the best of their ability, this is not always the case. A scrutiny of pupils’ workbooks throughout school show that some work is not as well presented

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

and in some lessons pupils do not always write enough.  A small minority of pupils find it more difficult to manage their own behaviour. However, they are very well supported by staff in school and so lessons are not disrupted.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils say they feel very safe and happy in school and they are confident that they would find someone to help if they had any problems. A group of pupils explained: ‘Our school is a close community.’  The vast majority of parents who responded to Parent View and to the school’s own questionnaire say their children are safe and happy in school.  Procedures to check pupils attend regularly are extremely rigorous. As a result attendance levels are consistently above average.  The nurture room provides a very safe and very caring environment. This helps pupils flourish and grow in confidence in their own abilities.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a very good understanding of how to stay safe and avoid any unnecessary risk. They are well aware of the potential dangers when using social networking websites, for example.  Pupils are helped to develop empathy and understanding for the thoughts and feelings of others as they are encouraged to consider how their actions may affect others.  Pupils say bullying almost never happens, but that if any unkind behaviour does occur then it is swiftly dealt with.  Much is done to boost pupils’ confidence and belief in their own abilities. This is a school where staff really do ‘go the extra mile’ in support of their pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school provides a very nurturing and harmonious community. There is an almost tangible sense of ‘belonging’ and the needs of the pupils are very much at the heart of everything that the school does.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher form a strong team. They are passionate about improving the school and providing the very best for its pupils. Staff are very committed and hard-working and very supportive of one another. Indeed, the responses from staff to the inspection questionnaire about the school were almost all entirely positive.  Despite having to accommodate a significant number of staffing changes since the previous inspection, the school has improved significantly.  Senior leaders keep a more careful check on how well each individual pupil is doing. This is helping many pupils make faster progress, because questions are asked if pupils are doing as well as expected. As a result, following a dip in attainment at Key Stage 2, standards are rising.

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The leadership and management are good

 Each pupil meets on a one-to-one basis with their class teacher to set some individual ‘targets’ for them to aspire to in English and mathematics and also with regards to their behaviour. This helps each pupil gain a clear understanding of what they need to improve and motivates them to try hard to reach their targets.  The leadership of teaching and learning is strong. Through careful support and monitoring senior leaders have managed to ensure almost all teaching is of good quality. Members of the senior leadership team are all very good role models and this ensures the highest quality teaching is represented in every key stage. However, opportunities for staff to improve their teaching even further, by seeing the very best examples of teaching both within their school and in other schools are as yet underdeveloped.  Members of the senior leadership team provide strong leadership for each key stage and also for

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The leadership and management are good

the provision for special educational needs. However, other middle leaders are still developing their roles, because, although growing in confidence, many members of staff are relatively new in post.  The curriculum is good. Pupils enjoy many fun and special events which support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development particularly well. Pupils gain a lot from working on their school allotment, as well as through the good range of extra-curricular activities and clubs.  The additional primary school sport funding is helping pupils gain a better understanding of how to lead a healthy lifestyle and is also helping to improve the quality of teaching of physical education. The funding has been used to enable sports coaches to work alongside class teachers and to provide additional sports clubs, for example.  The local authority has confidence in the school’s leadership to maintain its pace of school

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The leadership and management are good

improvement with minimal support. The school uses the local authority support proactively to gain an external view of the quality of teaching and to check on the impact of new initiatives.  The governance of the school:  Governors keep a careful check on pupils’ achievement and readily hold senior leaders to account by checking that pupils benefit from new developments, as well as from the additional pupil premium funding.  Members of the governing body have a clear view of the quality of teaching. They understand how well teaching is led and are aware of the use of performance-management procedures to reward good teaching and develop leadership roles.  Governors are closely involved in the long-term plans for the school. To this end they are closely involved in recruitment processes and ensure new appointments are carefully tailored to meet school needs.  The school benefits from the wide range of professional expertise represented on the

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The leadership and management are good

governing body in areas such as education, human resources and finance, as well as from their strong community links.  The governing body ensures safeguarding procedures meet current requirements.

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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 107646 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 443933

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 222 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair A Dierckx Headteacher W Mulligan Date of previous school inspection 22 March 2010 Telephone number 01484 222584 Fax number 01484 222584 Email address office.nields@edukirklees.net 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 and 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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