Greengates Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 5 Jun 2014

Greengates Primary School Stockhill Road, Greengates, Bradford, BD10 9AX

p.1

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 Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that has serious weaknesses.  Pupils’ progress in both Key Stages 1 and 2 is inadequate and has declined markedly since the last inspection when it was judged to be good.  In 2013, pupils’ attainment in writing at the end of Year 6 was below average. It was well below average in reading and mathematics.  Over the past two years, inadequate teaching has resulted in inadequate progress for too many pupils. The quality of marking and feedback, for example, is inconsistent and pupils are not always made aware of how they can improve their work.  On occasions, pupils are not given the right level of work to challenge them to reach the standards of which they are capable.  Leaders have made too little use of the good teaching in the school to help ensure there is consistently good practice in all classes. Over the last two years, pupil progress data has not been analysed sharply enough to inform the

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

school of where teaching needs to improve.  Senior leaders have not always held staff rigorously enough to account for the progress of their pupils.  Subject leaders do not have sufficient opportunities to observe learning in the areas for which they are responsible. They are not therefore always fully aware of how to promote better pupil performance by improving the quality of teaching.  Governors have not always been fully aware of pupils’ achievement and have not, therefore, challenged the leadership rigorously enough.

p.1

The school has the following strengths

 Teaching is improving because there is focused in-service training which is helping to enhance teachers’ classroom skills.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They feel safe in school and value the many opportunities they have to take responsibility.  The nurture room is a major strength of the school and promotes the self-esteem and achievement of those pupils who attend.  There is a good range of enrichment activities and pupils enjoy and value the activities within the Forest School and ‘Building Learning Power’ initiatives. These initiatives enable pupils to work very closely with each other and also to understand how best they learn.  The progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is now rising.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 11 part-lessons. Two observations were made jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors also attended a school assembly, spoke to pupils in the breakfast club and visited the nurture room on two occasions.  Inspectors met with three groups of pupils, including members of the school council and also media literacy leaders. They also held discussions with subject and aspect co-ordinators, the senior leadership team and the Chair and vice-chair of the Governing Body. In addition, they met with a local headteacher who supports the school and also a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 17 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and of the responses to the school’s internal parent questionnaire.  Inspectors observed the school at work and scrutinised a range of documentation, including pupils’ work in English and mathematics, internal and external attainment and progress data,

p.2

Information about this inspection

improvement planning and also the school’s view of how well it is doing. They also considered documentation in relation to child protection, safeguarding, attendance and behaviour.

p.2

Inspection team

Jim Kidd, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Derek Pattinson Additional Inspector Lynda Hobson Additional Inspector

p.2

Full report

In accordance with section 44 the Education Act 2005 (as amended), Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

p.3

Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school, with consistently more boys than girls on roll.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is above average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium is broadly average. (The pupil premium is extra money for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after by the local authority.)  The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage and there is a well-below-average proportion of pupils with English as an additional language.  The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The governing body administers a daily breakfast club. There is also an after-school club,

p.3

Information about this school

entitled ‘Simply Kids,’ which is run by an external agency. This club is subject to a separate inspection and receives a separate report which is available on the Ofsted website.  There have been significant staffing changes since the previous inspection, including the appointment of a new headteacher.  Greengates Primary is an Investor in Pupils and is a nationally-accredited Healthy School.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the consistency in the quality of teaching and learning in both key stages so that it is at least good in order to accelerate pupils’ progress and raise standards in English and mathematics by:  raising teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do, so that pupils of all levels of ability are given the right level of work to challenge them to reach the standards of which they are capable  ensuring that all marking and feedback makes pupils fully aware of how they can improve their work and that pupils act on the advice given  extending pupils’ vocabulary in order to help them improve their writing  improving pupils’ mental calculation skills and also helping them to use their mathematical skills more effectively to solve problems  sharing more widely the examples of good classroom practice which already exists.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve further the impact of leadership and management at all levels by ensuring that:  senior leaders hold staff even more rigorously to account for the progress of their pupils  data about pupils’ progress is analysed more sharply and used to inform teachers and leaders of where teaching needs to improve  subject leaders are provided with more opportunities to observe pupils’ learning in areas for which they are responsible in order to promote better achievement  governors exert greater challenge in their questioning of the senior leadership team about pupils’ achievement. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Pupils’ progress and attainment have declined markedly over time. Attainment at the end of Year 6 fell from above average in 2011, to well below average in 2013. Furthermore, in 2013, pupils of all ability levels, including the most able, did not reach the standards of which they were capable and so underachieved.  Attainment in Key Stage 1 has also fallen since 2011 and pupils’ progress in this key stage is still not good enough. Attainment overall is currently below where it should be and pupils’ achievement, therefore, remains inadequate.  As a result of a more accurate awareness of school performance by leaders and staff and the introduction of strategies to improve teaching, pupils’ progress is beginning to accelerate. This is particularly evident in Year 6 where standards of attainment are now approaching the national average and the pupils are showing the potential to reach higher standards in reading, writing

p.5

The achievement of pupils is inadequate

and mathematics. This acceleration in pupils’ progress is not evident in all year groups because there are inconsistencies in teaching quality across the school.  Over time, the calculation skills of the most able have been and remain well below where they should be, though they are now beginning to improve.  The school has undertaken a detailed analysis of pupils’ work in both key stages and has identified areas of weakness in both English and mathematics. In mathematics, for example, pupils’ mental calculation and also their use of mathematical skills to solve problems are underdeveloped. Their multiplication skills, although improving, are also not strong enough and the lack of basic vocabulary hinders pupils’ writing.  Children generally join the Nursery class with skills and knowledge which are below those expected for their age. Children’s progress is stronger in the Early Years Foundation Stage than

p.5

The achievement of pupils is inadequate

in the rest of the school and by the time they enter Year 1 the proportion showing a good level of development is now approaching that typically seen for their age.  As a result of the school’s emphasis on encouraging pupils to read more widely, pupils in both key stages are becoming more fluent readers and in Year 5 and Year 6 they are now using more powerful vocabulary to enliven their writing.  The achievement of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs was a major concern in 2013. Inspection evidence demonstrates that the progress of these pupils is now beginning to rise because of the focused and sensitive support they receive from teaching assistants. There is a similar picture in relation to pupils with English as an additional language.  The achievement of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals has been variable over time. In 2013, for example, those eligible pupils supported by the pupil premium made better

p.5

The achievement of pupils is inadequate

progress than others in reading and writing and reached above average standards in English grammar, punctuation and spelling. Currently, however, the attainment of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is a term behind that of others in reading and is two terms below that in writing. In mathematics, there is hardly any gap between their attainment and that of their classmates. The school has appointed a member of staff to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in the Reception class. Support is also being extended to provide support for older pupils in other classes across the school. Overall, the progress of pupils supported by the pupil premium is improving.

p.5

The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Over the past two years the impact of teaching has been inadequate because it has not ensured that pupils make the progress they should. The quality of teaching, although now improving, remains inconsistent within and across Key Stages 1 and 2 and hence its impact is still inadequate. There are examples of where pupils progress well because of the good teaching they receive, but there is not enough sharing of this good classroom practice across the school.  The teaching of reading, of mental mathematics and of how pupils can use and apply their mathematical skills to solve problems has not been good enough to enable them to make the progress they should have done in these areas. Similarly, the teaching of writing has not addressed pupils’ lack of basic vocabulary; however, pupils are now starting to read more widely and their reading skills are improving as a result.  Groups of pupils, including the most able, are not always challenged sufficiently in their learning;

p.5

The quality of teaching is inadequate

consequently, their progress slows and they do not reach the standards of attainment of which they capable. The scrutiny of pupils’ exercise books demonstrates that on occasions the levels of challenge needed to ensure pupils achieve well is not provided, the work is too easy and pupils are not stretched to reach for the highest standards.  When the level of challenge is realistic and when teachers’ questioning requires pupils to think more deeply about the subjects they are studying, as in Year 5 and Year 6 literacy, for example, their progress accelerates.  Similarly, when expectations of what pupils can do are high they become more motivated and their achievement improves. In Year 6 mathematics, for example, pupils explain confidently to their classmates exactly how they have used their skills to solve problems and this has led to accelerated progress for everyone.  The quality of marking and the feedback pupils receive is inconsistent across the school. Some

p.6

The quality of teaching is inadequate

marking is regular, accurate and contains detailed comment about the standards pupils have reached and of what they must now do to improve their work. Pupils have opportunities to respond to the teachers’ comments and understand how they can do better next time. Some marking, however, is cursory and provides no guidance to pupils about how to improve their work; there are also some examples of inaccurate marking when pupils’ mistakes are not corrected.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are welcoming and polite to visitors and are delighted to talk to them about the school and about the work they are doing. Indeed, they open doors for visitors and are concerned to make sure they do not get lost in the building! They are smartly dressed in their uniforms.  Pupils are generally interested in the work they are doing and place emphasis on making sure they use, in their words, ‘All our learning muscles, which help us to do well in class and also when we are growing up’.  Most pupils enjoy learning and want to succeed. When the teaching does not encourage them to do their best, a very small minority lose interest and do not concentrate as well as they could. Overall, however, pupils behave well in class, at the well-attended breakfast club, in the dining hall and around the school site.  Pupils are proud of their school and speak highly of the staff who work with them. They enjoy

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

the wide range of educational visits provided for them. They also speak highly of the variety of clubs on offer and make special mention of the ICT (information and communication technology) club which they clearly enjoy.  The school’s work to ensure its pupils are safe and secure is good. Indeed, all parents who responded to the online questionnaire believe their children are safe and happy in school and there were no adverse comments about how the school deals with bullying.  Pupils feel safe in school because, as they say, ‘Our teachers watch over us and there are close- circuit cameras all around’. They believe bullying does happen, but that it is rare and is always dealt with quickly when it occurs. They have a good understanding of the many different forms bullying can take. Many pupils are playground ‘buddies’ and sit on the ‘friendship bench’ to make sure no-one is unhappy or lonely at breaks and lunchtimes.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The nurture room does much to raise the self-esteem of pupils whose circumstances make them potentially vulnerable. Pupils themselves support others who are less fortunate than themselves through their work for charity which is a byword in the community.  Pupils are particularly proud of the many responsibilities they have to help run the school. Digital leaders advise pupils on how to use new technology safely. Media literacy leaders help pupils to improve their writing when they are completing their storyboards prior to making films and reading ‘buddies’ support children in the Reception class and also in Years 1 and 2. The school council represents the views of its constituents confidently and effectively.  Attendance since the previous inspection continues to be above average.

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Senior leaders recognise that they have not acted quickly enough to arrest the decline in achievement over the past two years. However, more stability in staffing and the establishment of a range of strategies to improve teaching and to accelerate pupils’ progress are having a positive effect.  Inspection evidence, including observations of teaching and learning, scrutiny of pupils’ work and consideration of pupil performance data, shows that teaching and achievement are now better, but as yet they remain inconsistent across the school.  Senior leadership, although requiring improvement, has the capacity to move the school forward, as seen, for example, in the improved progress and attainment of the current Year 6 class. Staff, including middle leaders, are of the view that assessment is now more accurate and that subject co-ordinators are taking more responsibility for improving achievement in their

p.7

The leadership and management requires improvement

areas. Inspection evidence confirmed this view.  Staff commented that training is now so much better and emphasises how they can improve their planning, their classroom practice and their assessment of how well pupils are doing. Inspectors found evidence that staff training is proving to be effective. For example, the impact of it is already being seen, particularly in Year 6, where pupils’ progress is now beginning to accelerate. In Year 5, too, pupils’ writing is improving apace.  Nonetheless, the analysis of achievement data is still not sharp enough to inform the school fully of where teaching needs to improve. Although performance management arrangements are now more robust, staff still need be held even more rigorously to account for the progress of their pupils. In addition, subject co-ordinators do not have enough opportunities to observe pupils’ learning in the areas for which they are responsible.

p.7

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The curriculum comprises enrichment activities designed to foster pupils’ interest in learning and to promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils enjoy the collaborative work within the Forest School initiative and they speak avidly of how the ‘Building Learning Power’ project helps them to see how they learn best.  The school uses the primary school sports funding effectively to employ sports coaches who visit the school regularly and who also provide training for play leaders and lunchtime supervisors. They deliver sports teaching and also support non-specialist staff across the school. There is also structured play activities for chosen pupils at lunchtime and this benefits their physical and emotional health and well-being.  The school meets current requirements in relation to safeguarding and child protection and it rejects all forms of discrimination. Equality of opportunity is not promoted well enough, given

p.7

The leadership and management requires improvement

that pupils’ achievement is inadequate.  The local authority has placed the school into a category of concern and officers monitor its performance closely. It also employs a local headteacher to support the school with strategies to improve teaching and bring about improvements in achievement. This is now leading to a more accurate awareness of the quality of teaching across the school and of how it can be improved.  The governance of the school:  Governors support the school well and analyse data in relation to pupils’ progress and attainment on a regular basis. However, although members challenge the leadership about all aspects of school performance, this challenge was not effective enough to arrest the decline in pupils’ achievement in the past two years.  The governing body has a clear view of the quality of teaching and is now demanding more rigour in the school’s attempts to improve it but its challenge to the senior leaders must be

p.7

The leadership and management requires improvement

increasingly sharp to ensure that members can monitor trends in pupils’ achievement more effectively.  Members of the governing body monitor the spending of pupil premium funding closely and have a sound understanding of its impact on the performance of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. Governors ensure that staff only receive financial reward if they meet their performance management targets in relation to pupils’ progress.  Governors meet their statutory obligations in relation to child protection and safeguarding.

p.8

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

p.9

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.

p.9

School details

Unique reference number 107206 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 439842

p.10

School details

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

p.10

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 256 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Steven Allan Headteacher Andrew Gaunt Date of previous school inspection 6 July 2010 Telephone number 01274 611324 Fax number 01274 611324 Email address office@greengates.bradford.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.10

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.

p.11

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

p.11

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

p.11

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’.

p.11

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.11