Shay Lane Primary (J and I) School

Shay Lane Junior and Infant School Shay Lane, Crofton, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF4 1NN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils make good and sometimes outstanding progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The school respects and values every individual and works very hard to help new pupils or those who have missed their education to catch up and to reduce gaps in their learning. As a result, they make good progress.  Teaching is good and sometimes outstanding because teachers work as a team to deliver a well-planned curriculum.  Pupils’ work is systematically checked and they are given very helpful suggestions on how to improve their work.  There has been a strong focus on reading and writing. Pupils are encouraged to read every day and to take attractive new reading books home to read.  The headteacher, a strong presence in school, works tirelessly to make sure that every child gets the best chance in life to learn.  Since the last inspection new leaders and governors, with good support from the local authority, have worked in close partnership to

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

successfully improve the quality of teaching and to maximise the learning potential for all pupils.  Shay Lane is a happy, safe and pleasant place to learn. Children are extremely polite, friendly and well behaved. They have been taught to respect each other’s differences, which results in a very harmonious school.  Attendance has improved because the school has encouraged parents to help their child attend regularly in order to make good progress.  The new governors have the skills and the enthusiasm to drive the school forward and are better equipped to challenge and support the headteacher and his staff.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 By the time pupils leave in Year 6 too few are attaining the national expectations for their age.  Leaders and managers, new to the school, have not yet played a full part in checking, evaluating and monitoring the teaching and learning in their subjects or areas of responsibility.  Systems for gathering and interrogating pupil achievement data are unwieldy and need streamlining so that the school and governors can quickly identify and act upon emerging issues or successes.  Attendance is still too low. Although there have been improvements since the last inspection there are still pupils who are persistently absent.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 11 lessons, one of which was observed with the deputy headteacher.  A wide range of pupils’ books and learning records were looked at during lessons as well as those books retained by the school from the previous year.  Meetings were held with the headteacher and the leadership team, groups of pupils, members of staff, four members of the governing body, the local authority officer and other members of the local authority support team.  A group of pupils brought their reading books and diaries, read to the inspector and discussed their views on the school.  The inspection took account of 22 staff questionnaires, the results of a recent school survey of parents’ views and the 15 responses to Ofsted’s online parent survey, Parent View. Discussions were held with parents at the start of the school day.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including achievement

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Information about this inspection

data, the school’s evaluation of its own performance and development plan, behaviour and attendance records and information relating to safeguarding.  Inspectors also explored the school’s provision for the social, moral, spiritual and cultural development of pupils.

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Inspection team

Pauline Pitman, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Shay Lane is smaller than most primary schools.  There are more boys than girls.  Pupil mobility is higher than the national average, with more than a quarter of the school children arriving in the school at different times during their primary education and from outside the local community. A high proportion of children leave the Nursery before the start of Reception to attend other schools.  Since the last inspection, a high proportion of new teachers have started at the school. There is also a new leadership team in post.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils known to be eligible for funding through the pupil premium is above average. This is additional government funding which supports pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is higher than the national average. Over 20% of children are now from the Travelling communities with approximately 23% in Year 2 last year.

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Information about this school

 The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is higher than the national average.  The school provides a breakfast club.  The school meets current floor standards which are the minimum expectations set by the government for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by ensuring that the effective teaching strategies, already in place, are consistently applied by all staff in all classrooms.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the roles and responsibilities of the senior and middle leadership team so that they are in a stronger position to support the headteacher to raise standards and improve the school further.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Streamline data gathering so that leaders and governors can more easily interrogate information so that they can quickly and accurately identify and act upon emerging issues and successes.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve attendance, particularly for those who are persistently absent.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the last inspection the headteacher and his team have addressed all areas for development and put in place a number of key actions to further improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning. Staffing has now stabilised and capable senior and middle leaders have been appointed. This has led to improvements; however, these have been too recent to make a contribution to raised standards at the end of Key Stage 2. Teaching is now consistently good and sometimes outstanding and progress has been further accelerated across the school.  There has been effective and regular support from the local authority which has helped the school to focus on key priorities, to develop expertise and to more accurately monitor and evaluate the quality of provision. This has helped the headteacher to become more strategic and reflective and to take swifter actions to improve the school.  School leaders ensure that every individual is valued, regardless of their prior attainment or their

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The leadership and management are good

background. The senior leadership team have identified excellent strategies to help pupils who have fallen behind or have joined the school late. For example, they have organised effective intervention for underachieving children from the Traveller community to help them catch up on learning they have missed. They strongly promote the importance of learning and clearly communicate the link between attendance and achievement. These principles pervade the school and help to promote a highly inclusive learning environment where pupils understand British values, and where equality and diversity is valued.  Senior and middle leaders are new to the school and have already added significant capacity to the leadership team and are beginning to secure improvement. They are well respected by governors and school staff who value their expertise. However, they have not yet had time to fully develop their roles

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The leadership and management are good

and responsibilities in the drive to raise attainment, particularly for those pupils who are new to the school or who are transient.  The school has significantly improved its information gathering to help strategic planning for improvement. However, the volume of information is sometimes unwieldy and needs streamlining so that the school and governors can quickly identify emerging issues or successes, put in place interventions and leave teachers in no doubt about the impact of their teaching on raising standards. The school is working well with outside partners to consider how they can record pupils’ achievement in relation to the new curriculum.  The new curriculum is well designed and meets the needs of the school community. It has energised staff because they can offer even better opportunities for pupils to practise their skills across the curriculum. Pupils enjoy learning because teachers make lessons enjoyable. This is because the leadership team has

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The leadership and management are good

been successful in supporting all staff to plan imaginative lessons and to use a range of new and existing resources to add interest to learning.  The quality of teaching is now effectively monitored and performance is more closely linked to pay. The leadership team has supported staff to closely check pupils’ workbooks and to suggest helpful ideas for improving learning. There are regular opportunities to meet to discuss pupils’ work and progress. This has helped to narrow gaps in pupils’ learning and to accelerate progress.  Good use is made of pupil premium funding to raise the attainment and narrow the achievement gaps between disadvantaged pupils and those who are not. The school has used the funding to buy new literacy resources and to appoint an experienced intervention teacher to enhance the teaching of literacy and numeracy. The school website proudly communicates the positive impact this has had on raising

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The leadership and management are good

standards. Good strategies and advice from the local authority support pupils from the Travellers community who leave the school and return some months later.  Sports funding has enhanced opportunities for pupils to develop their physical health and sporting skills. The appointment of a sport’s coordinator across six local schools, the involvement of specialist coaches and release time for the physical education coordinator has had a positive impact. More girls are now involved with sport and many pupils enjoy the additional sports and activities on offer such as dance, cheer leading, basketball and volleyball.  The governance of the school:  Since the last inspection new governors and a new Chair of Governors have been appointed. The governing body has the necessary skills and expertise to hold the school to account and provide more rigorous and effective challenge to the headteacher and his staff.

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The leadership and management are good

 Key governors have become more knowledgeable about the school as a result of local authority training and more regular visits to classrooms. They are now better informed about the quality of teaching in the school and understand the links between performance and pay.  Governors have a good understanding of achievement data, in particular the impact of the pupil premium funding on raising standards. They have a good grasp of the school’s finances and ask pertinent questions about how monies are spent and what impact it is having on achievement.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good because the headteacher and all staff encourage pupils to understand why good behaviour for learning and attendance is important in improving their opportunities in life.  All adults in the school, including the office staff and those in the dining room are good role models. They demonstrate mutual respect and care for others. This helps the children to learn how to be respectful to each other and to value difference. As a result there are very few incidents of bad behaviour both within the classroom and around the school.  All pupils understand the school rules, consequences and rewards systems. New pupils, including those from the Travelling community, manage their own behaviour without the need for intensive adult supervision. They like ‘Golden time’ treats for good behaviour and are very positive about the work the school does to promote good behaviour.  Incidents of low-level disruption in classrooms are very rare and are always dealt with quickly and

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Behaviour

effectively. As a result pupils enjoy learning and want to do well. They take great pride in their work and workbooks are well presented. They are able to concentrate and persevere to get things right. During pupil discussions everyone said they loved coming to school because the teachers helped learning to be fun.  Lunch time is a pleasant experience and school buddies befriend other children and help them to play. The dining room is a friendly place to eat. Pupils enjoy socialising and relate well to staff.  Although attendance has improved since the last inspection, with help from the community liaison team, there are still too many pupils who do not attend school regularly. All classrooms have a strong focus on the link between attendance and achievement. They celebrate improvements in attendance during assemblies.  Bullying of any sort is very rare in school and children understand what it means and why it is unkind.

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Behaviour

During the inspection a pupil in Key Stage 1 spontaneously commented that out of the three schools she had been to this was the only school where she was happy and free from bullying.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say they are safe in school and their parents agree. They have been taught to understand the risks of the internet, particularly cyber bullying and the dangers of social network sites.  All pupils, including younger children, report that they have been taught about keeping safe in the street and know how to keep themselves and others safe.  Pupils play safely in the yard and are generally mindful of each other when playing football or other more energetic games.  Teachers follow safety regulations appropriately when out of school, thus ensuring that all pupils are safe and free to enjoy their school trips.  Pupils are well looked after and kept safe during the daily early morning breakfast club.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Since the last inspection teaching has improved and is good and sometimes outstanding. Staffing has now stabilised and teachers are making better use of information to plan teaching and to match it to the individual needs of their pupils.  Teachers are accelerating progress for all pupils and especially for those with very low starting points. However, in some classes, not all teachers are as effective in using the school’s new strategies to help some of the least able to move on in their learning.  Teachers’ marking in pupils’ books is good and provides good advice on how to improve work. Pupils are getting better at responding, which helps them to make good progress and move towards the higher levels of attainment.  Pupils enjoy school because teachers make learning fun. Teachers expect all pupils to attain well. Pupils from the Traveller communities and those who are new to the school are offered additional intervention to

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The quality of teaching is good

help them to catch up quickly. Teachers plan lessons carefully and make good use of some attractive resources to help pupils learn. They regularly take pupils out on trips to inspire them and to extend their understanding of the different topics. For example, some pupils went to see a Shakespeare play at the local theatre and others to a chocolate factory to learn more about its production.  Teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge in their teaching, especially in English and mathematics. Reading skills and phonics (the sounds letters make) are now taught regularly and effectively. Reading is an important part of each school day and pupils are encouraged to choose from a selection of interesting and attractive new books to read at home and to respond to online. This strong focus on literacy is having a positive impact on pupils’ attainment in reading and writing.  Teaching assistants are well trained and liaise closely with the class teacher. They provide valuable and

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The quality of teaching is good

important support to all pupils in the class to help narrow gaps and accelerate pupils’ learning. Planned interventions offer valuable small group support to tackle underachievement. Evaluation of the impact of planned literacy interventions shows that progress is being accelerated.  Social, moral, spiritual and cultural education is an important part of the curriculum. All pupils are taught to understand the difference between right and wrong and to accept diversity. They enjoy opportunities to learn about other cultures and religions and even the youngest children understand the importance of respect for others. School displays show that pupils are taught about British culture and values and how to live harmoniously with others.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Many children start in the early years not yet ready to learn, with weak skills and knowledge of language and numbers. Improvements in provision and teaching are having an impact. By the time they leave Reception, a higher proportion of children than the national average reach a good level of development.  Many pupils arrive at school at different times during the year from outside the school community and from the Irish and Gypsy Roma communities. By the time they leave Year 6, the proportion of pupils making good and often outstanding progress in reading, writing and mathematics is above the national average. In 2014 this represented exceptional added value to the work of the school, especially in mathematics and writing.  Attainment at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 is low when compared to national expectations, owing to the influx of new pupils prior to the time of tests and the legacy of underachievement, which is now being

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The achievement of pupils is good

tackled robustly. Children’s workbooks and achievement results from reading and writing interventions show that the school is successfully accelerating pupils’ progress in order to rapidly improve attainment. The school’s records show that those pupils who have been in the school from the start of their primary education attain levels very close to the national average.  In 2014, many Year 1 children performed well in the Year 1 phonics check. However, results were affected by the high turnover of children leaving and entering the school, many with low prior attainment. New arrivals are offered effective intervention to help them to make rapid progress. Improvements in the teaching of mathematics, phonics and writing in Key Stage 1 have led to improvements in the proportion of pupils that are on track to do well.  The school has used its pupil premium funding to appoint an experienced and dedicated intervention

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The achievement of pupils is good

teacher who currently works with Key Stage 2 pupils. Key Stage 1 pupils, eligible for the pupil premium, have benefitted from a range of support and intervention programmes to develop their phonic skills and writing. This has meant that, by the end of Key Stage 1, pupils are now making good and often better than expected progress. Children enjoy reading and have daily opportunities to develop their skills and extend their understanding of reading.  In 2013, national assessments at the end of Key Stage 2 showed that there was a two-term gap in attainment, in reading, writing and mathematics, between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils in the school and others nationally. However, in 2014, this gap had narrowed to one term as a result of some successful intervention. Internal school data also show that disadvantaged pupils, including those from the Traveller communities, across the school perform as well as and sometimes better than other pupils in

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The achievement of pupils is good

school and make better progress than others nationally.  A higher proportion of the most able pupils compared with the national average are making expected progress with all pupils attaining as well as similar pupils nationally in mathematics, reading and writing, including a Level 6 in mathematics. It is notable that a number of the most able pupils from the Traveller community also performed well, for example in mathematics. The school is developing links with a local academy and offering a Saturday morning mathematics club. The most able pupils feature strongly in the school’s mathematics action plan.  Pupils with a disability and those with special educational needs are making good progress from often very low starting points. Intervention is rapid and effective in supporting them to reach their potential. Sometimes, however, work in class, for pupils who are just beginning to learn to read and write, is not as

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The achievement of pupils is good

well matched to their needs as it should be.

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The early years provision is good

 Children enter the Nursery class with weak skills in most areas of learning and especially in personal and social development. By the time they leave the Reception, more children than the national average have reached a good level of development. This represents good progress. However, a significant proportion of children move on to other schools before the beginning of Reception and a number of new children arrive, many of whom have never attended nursery.  Since the last inspection the school has taken decisive action to improve early years provision. The learning environment is well organised, which allows for a good mix of teacher-led and child-chosen activities. This allows children to make good progress, particularly in reading, writing and number, and to be prepared for entering Year 1.  The acting coordinator, with support from her team, has made significant improvements in the areas where children make free choices. They acknowledge that there is more to do to improve the outdoor

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The early years provision is good

area so that there are even more opportunities to reinforce new skills.  Teaching is well planned and effective, and children are regularly encouraged to learn and practise their early reading, writing and numeracy skills. A more accurate system has been put in place which supports all adults to regularly check and record children’s learning. Staff use this information to identify the next steps in learning. Where gaps in learning are recognised, such as recently noted, in concepts of shape, space and measures, teachers adjust their planning to quickly address this.  All staff act as excellent role models. They provide a very safe environment for children to grow and learn. They encourage children to listen carefully and to follow classroom routines. Children respond to this and are happy, busy learners who enjoy their time in school and relate well to each other.  Parents are increasingly involved with their children’s learning and are now recording learning at home.

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The early years provision is good

Parents are very positive about their child’s development and about provision in school. They agree that the early years is a safe place to learn.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 130375 Local authority Wakefield Inspection number 442285

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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 174 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ryan Case Headteacher David Wright Date of previous school inspection 11 December 2012 Telephone number 01924 303910 Fax number 01924 303911 Email address headteacher@shaylane.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 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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