Ark Carleton Park Primary School

School report Pontefract Carleton Park Junior and Infant School Moxon Close, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF8 3PT

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected as an academy 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

 The trust-appointed interim headteacher is quickly and effectively improving the school’s performance. The quality of teaching has strengthened. Behaviour and attendance have improved, and the standards reached by pupils across the school are rising.  Staff ensure that provision in the early years enables children to make good progress from a range of starting points. They are well prepared for learning in Year 1.  Pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 make good progress, particularly in writing. Standards across the school are rising and, by the end of Year 6, are on course to be higher than those nationally.  Pupils’ books demonstrate that teaching over time is good and some is outstanding. Activities are varied and interesting, and hold pupils’ attention. Staff check pupils’ understanding carefully through effective questioning. As a result, pupils make good progress.  Pupils’ behaviour is good both inside and outside

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

the classroom. Their positive attitudes to learning directly contribute to the improvements evident in their achievement.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils rightly feel safe. Partnerships with outside agencies, such as the local police, help to ensure they learn how to make safe choices.  Effective use is made of the pupil premium to support disadvantaged pupils. Previous gaps in the achievement between this group and others in the school and nationally are closing as a result.  Middle leaders play an integral role in improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. All staff are keen to improve their teaching skills continually.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs do not always make as much progress as they could because current systems in place do not consistently identify the support they need. Work set does not always match their needs accurately, which slows their progress.  Governors have yet to put in place a plan to ensure a smooth handover when the headteacher returns from maternity leave and identify the key issues that need to be addressed between senior leaders at this time.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team visited a variety of lessons taught across the school. Two lessons observations were undertaken jointly with members of the senior leadership team.  Inspectors held discussions with pupils and reviewed work in pupils’ books in order to gather evidence of the quality of teaching and learning over time.  The inspection team held discussions with the interim and acting headteachers, middle leaders and members of the school’s staff. The lead inspector met with the Chair of the Governing Body, six other governors and the CEO of the Pontefract Academy Trust.  The views of the 23 parents who responded to the online questionnaire, Parent View, were taken into account. Inspectors also took into account the views of 16 staff members who returned questionnaires.  The inspection team studied health and safety documentation, documents relating to the procedures to check the performance of staff, pupils’ attendance data and the school’s system for checking pupils’

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Inspection team

Marian Thomas, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school became an academy on the 1 December 2013, sponsored by the Pontefract Academies Trust.  The academy is a slightly smaller than average-sized primary school. Most pupils are White British. Approximately 10% come from other ethnic groups.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, those supported through the pupil premium, is less than the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is approximately half the national 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.  Children who attend the Reception class do so full time. The school has no nursery provision.

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Information about this school

 The headteacher is currently absent from school on maternity leave. She is due to rejoin the school in September 2015. An interim headteacher has been in post since September 2014. She is supported by the school’s deputy headteacher who is now undertaking a role as acting headteacher.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Speed up the progress, and hence improve the achievement of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, by:  ensuring that systems currently in place to identify pupils’ needs and required levels of support are used more consistently  ensuring that work set for these pupils is not too easy or too hard and enables them to make at least good progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that an effective and detailed plan is put in place by governors which will enable the school to make a smooth transition in senior leadership upon the return of the headteacher. Do this so that the school will continue to make the great strides in improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement identified during the inspection.

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The leadership and management are good

 The interim headteacher has a very clear vision of what is needed to make the school even better in the future. This, coupled with the support offered by the deputy headteacher and governors, has enabled the school to develop an effective teaching team. This has established an ethos in which learning flourishes and pupils behave well.  The leadership team uses the data collected to analyse pupils’ attainment and progress effectively. The team uses this information to help pinpoint any variation in their achievement and the quality of teaching. Regular meetings to check pupils’ progress towards their targets ensure that all leaders can check that all groups of pupils have an equal opportunity to succeed. This ensures that discrimination is avoided and positive relationships between different groups of pupils are promoted.  Despite these rigorous checks, the progress made by pupils with an identified disability or special

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The leadership and management are good

educational need is less good than other groups. This is because systems put in place to identify their individual needs are not always adhered to across the school. The school has yet to appoint a new special educational needs coordinator and this is impacting on the leadership and management within this area and on these pupils’ achievement.  The quality of teaching is monitored and assessed well. The interim headteacher has put in place a highly effective system to manage teachers’ performance. Targets set for staff are closely linked to areas identified in the school’s development plan. The interim headteacher, supported by the governors, has been rigorous in tackling previous underperformance in teaching. This has been a key factor in improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement over time.  Middle leaders are becoming much more effective in their carrying out their role. They now play an

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The leadership and management are good

integral role in improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. They support senior leaders well and their role in developing an effective marking and feedback scheme, which includes an online application (app) across the school, has directly helped to improve the standard of pupils’ work.  The leadership of mathematics and English has improved, as evidenced by the acceleration in pupils’ progress over the last year. In English, pupils’ skills in reading have strengthened and this has led to improvement in pupils’ overall achievement.  School leaders use the pupil premium funding effectively to support disadvantaged pupils. Their good gains show that gaps in attainment and progress between them and others are closing. Successful initiatives include developing pupils’ achievement and self-esteem through time spent learning in small groups, as well as providing funding to ensure that all pupils have equal access to school trips.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have embraced the national changes to the primary curriculum with enthusiasm and ensure that all aspects are met. A wide range of experiences, such as trips to outdoor pursuits centres and visitors to school, make learning exciting and interesting. ‘Learning how to climb up a cliff really scared me, but I was very proud when I got to the top!’ reflects a typical comment by pupils.  Effective use is made of the primary school sports and physical education (PE) funding to increase pupils’ physical skills and well-being. Current links with Featherstone Rovers Rugby Football Club have increased pupils’ participation in a wide rage of sports. Coaches help teachers to develop their skills and confidence in teaching sport. As a result, more pupils now access sport and are enjoying success both inside and outside school.  The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils are well aware of

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The leadership and management are good

the importance of British values and are prepared effectively for life in modern Britain. Through the democratic process of electing a school council, pupils learn of the importance of equality and fairness. Through their studies of Islam and other religions, they learn to respect those who are different from themselves.  Pupils also learn enterprise skills from an early age. A highly successful school tuck shop evidences this well. Sales of fruit and healthy snacks have continued to increase. Pupils have decided ambitiously to spend the profits on a permanent shelter in the playground which will enable them to increase their range of products. This demonstrates developing economic and retail skills.  Parents’ opinions of the school are high. Most would recommend the school to others. Parents feel welcomed into the school and acknowledge that their children make good progress.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet statutory requirements and are thorough and

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The leadership and management are good

effective. Careful checks are undertaken on all adults who work with pupils and the school liaises well with other organisations to protect pupils.  The governance of the school:  Governance is effective. The governing body has played a supportive role in improving both the standard of teaching and the achievement of pupils. Governors have high expectations for the school and work well with senior leaders to bring about continued improvement.  Governors have a good understanding of data relating to pupils’ achievement, including how well the school performs in comparison to others. This, in partnership with their good range of skills and regular training, enables them to hold school leaders to account for pupils’ progress.  Governors are well informed about the quality of teaching. They have supported the interim headteacher effectively in tackling previous underperformance. Governors ensure that teachers’ pay

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The leadership and management are good

closely reflects their performance and pupils’ achievement.  While governors are aware of the need to ensure that the school continues to make the rapid and sustained progress of recent times, they have yet to put in place a plan which will support the transition between the departure of the interim headteacher and the return of the headteacher in September.  Regular visits to school ensure that governors have a good understanding of issues relating to health and safety.  Governors manage the school budget prudently, as evidenced by the recent monies made available to improve the outdoor play area for Reception children.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils’ behaviour is good both inside and outside the classroom. This is reflected in the calm atmosphere in school and the polite and friendly welcome given to visitors.  Pupils spoken with say behaviour is good. They feel that pupils ‘look after each other’. They say that school is a welcoming community in which everyone is valued. A few pupils acknowledge that behaviour is not yet outstanding because ‘not everyone makes quite the right choices’. Nevertheless, pupils say how much they enjoy coming to school.  Pupils’ positive attitudes to learning have contributed directly to the improvements in their academic achievements across the school. Pupils’ pride in their work is reflected in their books, which in most year groups show careful attention to presentation.  Incidents of difficult behaviour are few and far between. There has been only one exclusion since the

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Behaviour

school became an academy.  Support for those pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable is good. The learning mentor has been instrumental in increasing the amount of support and guidance for troubled families from a range of outside agencies. This has led to an increase in pupils’ attendance and punctuality.  Attendance is broadly average and has increased over the past year.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  All staff undertake safeguarding training regularly and effective work is undertaken with outside agencies to ensure pupils’ safety both inside and outside school.  Pupils say they feel very safe and secure because staff are there to help them. They comment that there is always someone who will listen should they have concerns. They know where to turn if they feel upset or troubled.  The school works closely with outside agencies to help keep pupils safe. For example, during the inspection, two local police officers visited school to talk to pupils about how to keep safe if approached by a stranger. Initiatives such as these ensure pupils understand how to make safe decisions now and in the future.  The school’s recent work on anti-bullying highlighted to pupils the different forms bullying can take. Pupils talk confidently about this and show good levels of understanding. The majority feel that bullying

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Safety

behaviour does not happen very often but are clear about where to turn should an incident occur.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching over time is good. Work in pupils’ books demonstrates that some teaching is of outstanding quality.  Classrooms are bright and welcoming places. Displays are used well to celebrate pupils’ achievement and further improve learning. Activities are varied and interesting, and hold pupils’ attention during lessons.  Staff work closely together. Teaching assistants contribute well to pupils’ learning by developing pupils’ concentration and confidence in their own successes. Teachers’ use of questions is effective in checking pupils’ understanding and probing their thinking.  However, support for the small numbers of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is not always of such high quality. This is because their needs are not always identified as closely as they should be. This slows the progress of this group of pupils.  Pupils’ progress in reading is good. This is because of school’s strong emphasis on the teaching of reading

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The quality of teaching is good

skills. Staff are well trained in the teaching of phonics (matching sounds to letters). These sessions are well planned and staff across the school typically match activities well to meet pupils’ varying needs and abilities.  Spelling, grammar and punctuation skills are taught consistently well across the school. This is reflected in the high levels of attainment in Year 6 national tests.  Mathematics is taught well and pupils in Key Stage 1 and 2 make good progress. A recent focus on developing pupils’ thinking skills helps them to deepen their understanding of different mathematical concepts. A conscientious approach to planning and the high expectation that all will make at least good progress has increased pupils’ achievement.  The vast majority of staff mark pupils’ books conscientiously and adhere to the school’s marking policy. A recent focus on improving the consistency of marking has contributed to the rapid increase in pupils’

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The quality of teaching is good

achievement. Overall, marking is highly informative and of a good standard. Pupils’ feedback to teachers’ commentary shows a good understanding of how to improve and make better progress.  Homework tasks contribute well to pupils’ achievement by helping to promote their research skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children make a good start to learning in the early years. Inspection findings, school data and work in pupils’ books shows that, between Years 1 and 6, all groups of pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. Recent data shows that the large majority of pupils are making the expected rate of progress and an above average proportion are making better than expected progress from their starting points in both Key Stages 1 and 2.  In 2014, the standards attained by pupils at the end of both Year 2 and 6 were in line with those found nationally However, progress for the small number of disabled pupils or those with special educational needs is slower than for other groups. This is because their needs are not always as clearly identified as they should be and work set in class does not always meet their needs as well as it should. This slows their progress and their attainment last year was a little lower than others nationally.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 ‘Reading takes me into a different world and makes me dream of faraway places.’ This is a typical quote from older pupils and shows how much they enjoy reading. Pupils’ achieve well in reading and enjoy borrowing books from the extensive school library.  Staff are justifiably proud of Year 1 pupils’ results in the national reading screening check of pupils’ phonic skills in 2014. An above average proportion of pupils met the expected standard. Pupils currently in Year 1 are on course for even greater gains in this particular aspect of reading.  Pupils’ progress in writing has accelerated due to a clear focus on improvement, particularly in their spelling, punctuation and grammar skills and, overall, pupils achieve well. School data, along with inspection evidence, shows that a range of different strategies has improved standards in pupils’ writing skills in both Key Stages 1 and 2.  The newly appointed mathematics subject leader has ensured that pupils achieve well in mathematics by

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The achievement of pupils is good

ensuring that work set matches pupils’ varying needs well. Her clear focus on developing pupils’ thinking skills and improving their ability to solve problems has increased pupils’ rates of progress across the school.  Overall, from their starting points, the very small number of disadvantaged pupils are currently achieving well. However, in 2014 disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 made less progress in reading and mathematics. Their attainment was around six terms behind other pupils in the school and five terms behind other pupils nationally. In writing, they were two terms behind others in the school and three terms behind others nationally. Almost half of these pupils were identified as having special educational needs. School data and inspection evidence show that disadvantaged pupils are now making good progress across the school in relation to others nationally; previous gaps in attainment are closing securely and rapidly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress for the most-able pupils is good overall in reading, writing and mathematics. The school provides a curriculum which challenges them to reach their potential. This is demonstrated by the increased numbers of pupils currently in Year 6 who are on track to reach both the higher Level 5 and highest Level 6 in national tests.  The small numbers of pupils from other ethnic groups are making good progress overall from their starting points.

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Early years provision is good

 Children enter the Reception class with a wide range of pre-school experiences and at levels sometimes below those typical for their age group in speaking, listening, reading, writing and social skills. Once settled into the routines of the unit, they make good and sometimes better progress from their different starting points. The majority leave the Reception Year having achieved a good level of development and are well prepared for learning in Year 1.  Staff work closely together to ensure that the quality of teaching is good. Activities are planned which specifically match children’s varying abilities and skills.  A well-resourced indoor environment stimulates children’s interest and learning. There is an appropriate balance between activities led by adults and those that allow children to explore on their own. Children’s ages, experience and starting points are taken into careful consideration when planning activities. Where

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Early years provision is good

adults lead activities, questions are appropriate and engage children in discussion, which promote learning well.  The outdoor area has improved since the school became an academy. School leaders have plans to ensure that this improvement continues. The very recent release of substantial extra funding from the Pontefract Academy Trust has ensured that these plans are on course to be fulfilled.  The teaching of literacy and numeracy skills is effective. Phonics skills are taught well and, as a result, children make a good start in reading. Numeracy activities are well thought out and planned.  Staff effectively identify children’s social and emotional needs and ensure that they feel happy, safe and secure. As a result, children are willing and eager to learn. This is reflected in their good behaviour.  The early years leader leads the small team of staff well and ensures that they share a common sense of

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Early years provision is good

purpose, which focuses on children’s learning. Leaders ensure that observations and assessments of what children already know and can do are used effectively to plan the next steps in learning for all groups of children.  Partnerships with parents are well developed. All feel that they are welcomed into school and are part of their children’s learning.

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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 140337 Local authority Wakefield Inspection number 450212

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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 sponsor-led Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 203 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Wilkin Headteacher G Lindley (interim headteacher), F Holmes (acting headteacher) Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected as an academy Telephone number 01977 722615 Fax number 01977 722616 Email address admin@carletonpark.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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