St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy

St Oswald's CofE Primary Academy Cross Lane, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 3JT

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Standards reached by pupils at the end of Year 6 are low and do not represent good enough progress from their starting points.  Too few pupils are currently making better than the progress expected of them in reading, writing or mathematics.  Teaching has not been strong enough and consequently, there are gaps in what pupils know and understand; this is particularly the case in writing.  Expectations of what pupils can achieve in their mathematics are not always high enough, especially for the most able pupils.  On occasions, pupils do not always display good attitudes to their learning.  Some pupils in lower Key Stage 2 do not always enjoy playtimes and lunchtimes and explain ‘some of the older children are unkind’.  Leaders have not ensured that data are used well enough. As a result, adults are not always able to respond swiftly enough to support pupils who are not making fast enough progress.  The role of middle leaders is not fully

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

developed. They are only at an early stage of using data to measure the effectiveness of their work to raise pupils’ achievement.

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The school has the following strengths

 Since the appointment of the acting headteacher, the quality of teaching is improving quickly.  Progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good and children are increasingly well prepared to start Year 1.  The teaching of phonics (the sounds which letters make) is good in lower Key Stage 1 and this gives pupils a good grounding in the basic skills of reading.  Pupils who are new to learning English are helped to settle quickly and soon make good progress.  The quality of teaching is good in Year 6 and pupils make good progress in their final year of school.  Governors ensure pupils are kept safe and happy. They challenge and support leaders in equal measure.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 22 lessons or small group activities, of which two observations were conducted jointly with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with members of the governing body, senior leaders, school staff and a representative from the Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust. Inspectors spoke with pupils about their work in lessons, listened to them read and met with a group from Key Stage 2.  Inspectors took account of the 47 responses to the on-line survey (Parent View). Inspectors also spoke to a number of parents during the two days of the inspection.  Inspectors took account of the 34 questionnaires returned by members of the school staff.  Inspectors observed the school’s work, and together with senior leaders looked at progress data, work in pupils’ books, information about the management of teachers’ performance, records relating to behaviour and safety, as well as documents relating to child protection and

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Inspection team

Jim Alexander, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Deane Additional Inspector Samantha Kidd Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium is much higher than average. (The pupil premium is additional government funding provided for children who are looked after by the local authority and those known to be eligible for free school meals.)  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is above average and a high proportion speaks English as an additional language.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school runs a breakfast club.  St Oswald’s CofE Primary Academy converted to become an academy on 1 November 2012.

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Information about this school

When its predecessor school, St Oswald’s CofE Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good.  Since becoming an academy, school leaders have been providing and receiving support and training within the Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust.  An acting headteacher was appointed in February 2014. Since becoming an academy, leaders have managed a number of difficult staffing issues.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching so it is consistently good or better, so that pupils make at least good progress and reach the standards of which they are capable, by:  raising expectations of what pupils can achieve in mathematics, particularly for the most able pupils  making sure there is a consistent approach to the teaching of spelling, punctuation and grammar to improve the quality of pupils’ writing  building upon the good start pupils have in recognising the sounds letters make to foster a love of reading across the school  ensuring all pupils use time in lessons productively, working hard and developing positive attitudes to learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of leadership by:  making better use of data on pupils’ progress to step in more quickly if pupils are not achieving well enough  developing the role of middle leaders to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of teachers’ work to raise standards and accelerate progress in their subject areas  acting swiftly to eliminate the poor behaviour of a minority of pupils at playtimes and lunchtimes.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils in Year 1 to Year 5 do not make good enough progress from their starting points in reading, writing or mathematics. As a result, standards reached by pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are low. This is why the achievement of pupils requires improvement.  Children start the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are much lower than those typically expected for their age. They are helped to settle quickly and provided with a wide range of activities to enjoy. As a result, they make good progress and are increasingly well prepared to start Year 1.  By the end of Year 1, the proportion of pupils reading at the expected standard is increasing and is now broadly average, although girls do much better than boys. However, while the school is very effective at helping pupils understand the basics such as phonics (the sounds that letters and groups of letter make), few go on to develop a love of reading. This is because their

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

comprehension skills are not developed equally as well.  School data, lessons observed and work seen in pupils’ books all demonstrate that progress is improving this year. However, these improvements are not yet consistently strong in every class and remain weakest in Year 3 and Year 5. As a result, while the majority of pupils across the school are making the progress expected of them, few do better.  While teachers are giving pupils many opportunities to write at length, their progress requires improvement because the teaching of spelling, punctuation and grammar is not consistently good enough.  Pupils have a secure knowledge of the basic mathematical skills and are confident to use their skills to solve a range of problems. However, pupils’ progress is not good enough because the problems pupils are asked to solve are too easy for the most able and too tricky for the less able. The progress made by the most able pupils varies from class to class and is strongest in

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

Year 6.  Pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs are supported during lessons or in small-group activities. This helps them make the same progress as others in their class.  Pupils who are supported by the pupil premium, including those who are known to be eligible for free school meals, are making increasingly good progress, but this once again varies from class to class. As a result, by the time they leave school, any gaps in attainment are closing, although they remain four months behind others in their class.  Pupils who are from minority ethnic groups make progress similar to others in the school. However, those new to learning English are supported well and are helped to make increasingly good progress. This is one example of the school’s commitment to promote equality and tackle discrimination.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Although teaching is getting better, it still requires improvement because its impact on pupils’ achievement is not consistently good across the school.  Improvements to the way mathematics is taught are helping pupils gain a better understanding of the basic number calculations. Pupils also now regularly apply what they know to help them solve number problems. However, teachers’ expectations of what can be achieved in mathematics are not always high enough. This can slow pupils’ progress, particularly the most able.  Occasionally, a number of pupils find the work too easy, they finish quickly and then have to wait for others to catch up. In other classes, activities move on at too fast a pace and unless they receive additional help, some pupils struggle to keep up and are left confused. This is not a good use of their time.  Pupils are encouraged to write at length across a range of subjects, but inconsistencies in the

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

way spelling, punctuation and grammar are taught, limit their progress.  The quality of marking is improving but remains variable; while the majority of books include positive comments, not all have clear guidance about how pupils can improve their work. If pupils do receive good guidance, they do not always follow this advice quickly enough. This is not always picked up by teachers, which limits the progress pupils make in their work.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage benefit from well-designed activities which capture their imagination and promote positive attitudes to work, both indoors and outside. Adults are skilled at observing how well children learn and then ask the right questions to further extend children’s thinking.  The school has a large number of teaching assistants. These members of staff often make a valuable contribution to helping pupils’ learning in small-group or one-to-one activities. This

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

especially helps those new to learning English.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. This is because pupils’ attitudes to learning are not as good as they could be in every lesson. Most pupils show respect for one another and this allows learning to move along without interruption. However, when activities are not interesting enough to capture pupils’ attention, some pupils become restless or silly and are not always willing to try their best.  Pupils have a good awareness of different forms of bullying and know how to keep themselves safe when, for example, using the internet.  Many pupils behave exceptionally well at lunchtime and playtime, enjoy school life and provide very positive role models for younger children. However, this is not the case for all and some younger pupils explain that they are frightened ‘because some boys in Year 5 and Year 6 chase us, swear at us and sometimes hit us’. They are quick to explain that teachers always help them

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

when these incidents occur and ‘our headteacher is very kind’.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure requires improvement. Leaders have recently introduced a better system to carefully record incidents of unacceptable behaviour. However, these records show a high number of incidents, including some racist name-calling and bullying.  The proportion of pupils excluded for unacceptable behaviour is falling quickly, but still remains higher than average.  Pupils’ attendance is improving and they are rarely late for lessons. As a result of effective steps being taken by senior leaders, the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent is falling quickly, but currently remains above average.  The well-attended breakfast club provides a very positive start to the school day.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership requires improvement because while the acting headteacher has taken robust action to effectively improve the quality of teaching, it is not yet consistently good enough to ensure pupils are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Also, leaders do not always use data well enough to identify those pupils who are not yet making the best possible progress.  The acting headteacher is tackling key priorities with a strong sense of urgency and has achieved much in a short space of time. He has the full confidence of the staff and morale is high. There is a strong determination, shared by all staff, that this quickly becomes a good school.  Senior leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and what needs to improve, and have a secure grasp of how to do this. Robust plans and many well-considered initiatives to improve pupils’ achievement and behaviour are well underway.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The leadership of teaching, including arrangements to manage staff performance, has strengthened considerably this year. Expectations of good quality teaching for all staff are clear. All staff are now set targets for improvement. This is helping to hold staff robustly to account for the quality of their teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Middle leaders have identified what is working well and what needs to further improve in their subject areas. Development plans have been written and agreed actions are being implemented. However, not all middle leaders have fully developed the skills required to use data effectively so they can measure the success of their work in raising pupils’ achievement and as a result, do not step in quickly enough to boost the underperformance of some pupils.  The new primary school sports funding is used to provide more clubs for pupils to attend, as well as improve the quality of teaching of physical education. Teachers have also set targets for

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The leadership and management requires improvement

pupils to achieve in this subject, but are at a very early stage of evaluating the impact on pupils’ performance.  The curriculum is enhanced through a growing number of school trips and visits. Plans for developing the curriculum further in September are well underway. A strength of the school is how leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Leaders have made effective use of external consultants to support improvements. The academy trust adviser is also providing an effective balance of challenge and support to ensure the school continues to improve.  The governance of the school:  The Chair of Governors has strengthened the governing body by recruiting experienced members and also taken advantage of support from external consultants and academy advisers. Governors have rightly identified the need to commission an external review of its own effectiveness and are committed to act swiftly upon the recommendations of this review.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

Governors are strong advocates of the school and passionate that pupils get the best possible start to school life. They regularly visit school and receive reports about progress being made. They have set targets to be met and agreed a timescale for any remaining underperformance to be addressed. They make sure good teaching is rewarded and take every opportunity to encourage staff when appropriate. They are aware of how additional funds are used, including the pupil premium funding, and developing systems to monitor the difference being made to pupils’ achievement and enjoyment in school life. The skilled leadership of the governing body has helped to keep the school on an even keel through a period of difficult staffing issues, carefully following all agreed procedures. Safeguarding 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 138916 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 440131

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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 Academy converter Age range of pupils 2–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 470 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Dennis Richards Headteacher Andrew Chadwick (Acting Headteacher) Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01274 573396 Fax number 01274 573396 Email address office@stoswalds.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 .

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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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