Denby Dale First and Nursery School

Denby Dale First and Nursery School Gilthwaites Lane, Denby Dale, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD8 8SG

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Strong leadership and clear vision from the headteacher and governors have created an exciting place for pupils to learn and consolidate their good progress.  Governors know the school’s strengths very well. They provide support and challenge in equal measure, enabling the school to continue to improve. They have been a crucial source of support in enabling the recent merger of early years settings.  School leaders and governors manage improvements in teaching effectively. They ensure that good progress and achievement are maintained.  Leadership of the early years is good. Children are safe and well provided for, and make good progress.  Teaching quality is good. Some teaching is outstanding. Pupils are challenged effectively and their individual needs are provided for well.  Pupils behave well and feel very safe in school. They have good attitudes to learning and enjoy their lessons. Their attendance is well above

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

average.  Parents hold positive views about the school. They support its work and their children’s learning well.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Outstanding teaching is not sufficiently consistent throughout the school. The best practice is not used sufficiently as an example for all teaching. Although the school has identified the benefits of extending training, this has not yet taken place.  Teachers’ feedback to pupils does not always help them to improve their work.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Pupils’ learning was observed in a range of lessons and from samples of their work. Two of the lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher.  Inspectors discussed the school’s work with members of staff, pupils, parents, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Also taken into account were 59 responses from parents via Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, as well as questionnaires completed by staff members.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and examined a wide range of documentation which included: national assessment data and the school’s own assessments; minutes from governing body meetings; external reports and the school’s own view of its work; curriculum information and safeguarding documents.

p.2

Inspection team

Kevin Johnson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average sized primary school in which virtually all pupils are White British.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium is below average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.  Provision for children in the early years is a mixture of part time and full time in Nursery and full time in Reception. There is also some part-time and full-time care for children who have reached the age of two years.  The provision for two-year-olds and the Nursery class have been opened as a result of a merger with the former Gilthwaites First School. This extended provision opened in January 2015.  Before- and after-school care, including a breakfast club, are provided during term time. There is also

p.3

Information about this school

provision for care during school holidays.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement further by improving teaching, so that it provides the highest possible challenges more consistently, by:  using the current best practice as an example for all teaching in the school  extending relevant training opportunities for new staff members to further their professional development and improve their teaching skills  making sure that the feedback pupils are given helps them to improve their work.

p.3

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and governing body have successfully merged the early years settings to extend provision in the school. Their clear vision and strong direction for the school’s future have established an exciting learning environment where the pace of learning throughout the whole school is good, where all pupils are taught well, and where behaviour is consistently good.  All forms of discrimination are eliminated. Pupils’ learning and personal development thrive in the knowledge that they are equally valued by staff and enjoy equal opportunities to achieve their best.  The local authority provides light-touch support for the school, confident that the strengths in leadership give the school good capacity to continue improvements.  Teaching and learning are managed well by the headteacher. Governors keep a check on and have an accurate view of the overall quality. Senior leaders, who provide first-class role models for best practice

p.4

The leadership and management are good

and professional relationships, ensure that teachers’ performance is consistently good and promotes pupils’ good progress.  Staff who are new to the school are supported effectively and settle well to the school’s routines and expectations. Leaders acknowledge, nevertheless, that extending training opportunities for all staff, including the sharing of outstanding practice in the school, would raise the quality further towards the school’s aim of outstanding teaching overall and higher achievement.  The curriculum is managed well by middle leaders. Their good subject knowledge underpins effective planning. They have adapted the new primary curriculum well to create a good range of learning opportunities across all subjects. Pupils’ learning is enriched by residential visits, as well as many after- school activities that enable them to follow particular skills and interests.  The physical education curriculum and pupils’ well-being are enhanced by the school’s good use of primary

p.4

The leadership and management are good

school sport funding. Sports coaches who work in the school have increased the skills, rigour and pupils’ fitness in lessons. Teachers’ knowledge and skills have benefited from working alongside coaches. There is an increased range of sports activities for pupils, and more competitive tournaments. Pupils achieve well, as seen in recent successes in cross-country running and the girls’ football teams.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. It is promoted strongly through the curriculum. They enjoy the creative approaches to their learning and opportunities to use their skills in different ways. Pupils understand right from wrong and have a strong sense of fair play. Through visits to different places of worship and their learning in school, pupils learn respect for and tolerance of those from other cultural backgrounds. They have a good knowledge of their own heritage and local traditions.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

Pupils learn how democracy works by electing they own school council which ensures that all views are heard. Pupils take responsibility seriously and learn that reliability and consideration for others are essential qualities. By the time pupils leave the school, they are well prepared to understand their future roles as members of modern British society.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively to boost the skills of disadvantaged pupils, where needed. Governors recently reviewed how the funding was used in order target some pupils more specifically through additional teaching support. The impact is positive and where gaps in attainment were identified, they are closing quickly.  Safeguarding arrangement are good. All statutory requirements are met. Governors check regularly with the headteacher that health and safety matters meet regulations fully and are effective. Staff and governor training is up to date and all written policies provide clear guidance. Attendance is checked

p.4

The leadership and management are good

rigorously to ensure that it remains well above average.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school: Governance is a particular strength within the school’s leadership. Governors share a good range of knowledge and expertise. They know the school well and challenge it purposefully. National assessment data for Key Stage 1 are used skilfully to measure pupils’ performance. Governors check on junior pupils’ progress from other nationally recognised tests and feedback from the middle school when pupils reach the end of Year 6. Teaching quality and its impact is a main focus for governors. They maintain an accurate overview of teaching through performance management information. They are fully equipped with the knowledge they need to challenge or reward teaching when salaries are reviewed. The school’s finances are managed efficiently.

p.4

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils generally behave well in lessons and around the school, but a small number of pupils need support with their emotional responses and their behaviour for learning.  The majority of pupils work consistently hard and show good enthusiasm for learning. They listen to and respect adults in the classroom and try to do their best. A substantial majority of pupils present their work very neatly.  Around the school, pupils behave very politely towards adults and are mindful of each other. Relationships are good, so pupils enjoy playtimes. Their table manners in the dining room are delightful and pupils adjust their behaviour very well to the quieter and more formal mood of assemblies. Positive comments about behaviour from members of the community are not uncommon.  Pupils are good ambassadors for their school. They attend regularly and mostly on time. Pupils dress

p.5

Behaviour

smartly in school uniform and are ready to learn when they arrive.  The school council, sports leaders, buddies and telephone receptionists all contribute well to the everyday life of the school and help each day to run smoothly.

p.5

Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils say that they are very safe in school and that adults take good care of them.  The pastoral care and welfare of the two-year-olds is managed particularly well.  Pupils understand that bullying can take on different forms, including cyber-bullying, but state firmly that it does not exist in school. Nor, they say, is there any offensive name-calling. School records confirm that serious incidents of bullying rarely occur.  The school’s clear systems for managing pupils’ behaviour are applied consistently when required. Records show that the support given is helping some pupils to settle more readily in school effectively.  Parents appreciate the care and safety that the before- and after-school provision provides, including that which is offered during school holidays. The care is well organised and all relevant policies and risk

p.5

Safety

assessments are in place.  Parents’ initial concerns over the merger of the early years setting are partially reflected in the response to Parent View. However, one inspector’s discussion with some parents indicates that those concerns are lessening. Overall, the large majority of parents are positive about the school.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is good overall and accounts for pupils’ good achievement. However, the exemplary teaching is not sufficiently shared as an example to improve teaching further throughout the school.  Pupils’ learning is planned well, taking full account of their varying abilities. Resources to help pupils learn are prepared well and help pupils to understand and complete tasks successfully. Technology is used well by teachers and pupils as a tool to help learning.  Teaching assistants work effectively with class teachers to check on progress during lessons, correct errors and maintain a good rate of progress. They know the pupils well and make a valuable contribution to their learning.  Assessment is used well to set new challenges. Mathematics and writing targets are reviewed constantly to maintain a good pace to pupils’ learning. Good questioning during lessons provides a clear measure of

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

pupils’ understanding and what they need to learn next. The written feedback given to pupils usually celebrates achievement but does not consistently help pupils to improve their work.  English is taught well. Reading has a very high profile in the school and the good selection of literature available often provides a stimulus for writing. Punctuation, spelling and grammar are practised well in a good range of writing across subjects. Pupils write well for different purposes. These include some very sensitive poetry about emotions and good quality reflective writing about the work of artists. Speaking and listening skills are encouraged effectively. In one lesson, pupils enjoyed the competitive elements of listening to a story extract, then formulating questions, in teams, for others to answer. Older pupils speak confidently about the works of favourite authors and explain clearly why they enjoy their books.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils acquire knowledge and understanding of number, and how number systems work, at a good pace. Challenging targets are set to drive up achievement, resulting in many pupils working at above the expected standards for their age. Pupils in Year 5, for example, learned what it is to manage a budget and drew on a range of skills to plan either a holiday or a party without overspending. Some of the calculations included using percentages. Pupils relished these challenges which provided real-life mathematical investigation, as well as sound moral training.

p.5

The achievement of pupils is good

 From their good start in the early years, pupils continue to make good progress throughout the school. They achieve well by the end of Year 5.  In 2014, the proportion of pupils in Year 1 who reached the expected standard in phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) was well above the national average. A similar proportion is working at this standard in the current Year 1 class.  At the end of Year 2, standards in reading, writing and mathematics have been above average over time. There was a dip in attainment in 2014 to average. This was due to an unusually high proportion of pupils who had special educational needs and whose starting points were much lower when they entered Year 1. Nevertheless, pupils overall made good progress. School assessments and pupils’ work show that almost all pupils currently in Year 2 are achieving at least the standards expected of them, showing a return to

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

above average standards overall.  Progress in Years 3 to 5 is good. Pupils make particularly good progress in writing. Significant proportions of pupils in Years 4 and 5 are already exceeding the standards in writing that are expected for their age. A few pupils in Year 5 make exceptional progress to reach standards well in advance of their age. This reflects the good challenges planned for the most-able pupils and the high expectations of what they can achieve.  Pupils achieve well in reading. In Year 2, pupils read confidently. They use their phonics skills well to tackle unfamiliar words and make sense of what they read. The oldest pupils in the school read confidently, with good expression and understanding. They select from a good range of suitably challenging novels. Pupils have good attitudes to reading and know how important it is to read well.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are provided for well and they make good

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

progress. Their specific needs are identified early and the school works effectively with outside agencies to ensure that pupils receive the best possible support. Individual learning plans are carefully tailored to meet pupils’ needs and pupils’ learning is checked carefully at every stage. The school works well with parents and they are kept well informed about their children’s progress.  Disadvantaged pupils who are supported by the pupil premium make good progress from their starting points. An attainment gap identified at the end of Year 2 in 2014 has been tackled vigorously. Funding is used effectively to provide specific support, and ensure equality of opportunity for pupils. Consequently, disadvantaged pupils throughout the school are catching up quickly with other pupils as gaps in their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics continue to close.

p.6

The early years provision is good

 Almost half of the children who enter the Nursery class have abilities which are below those typically expected in some areas of learning. This is most notable in aspects of their personal, social and emotional development and communication skills.  Children make good progress in Nursery. The majority enter Reception with skills typical for their age. A small minority exceed these.  About two thirds of the children transfer to Reception class, while others join from different settings. Their good progress continues. In 2014, the proportion of children reaching at least a good level of development in all areas of learning was above the national average. In the current Reception class, this proportion has risen further.  Overall, children are well prepared for their transfer to Year 1.  Provision of care for the small number of two-year-olds is excellent. Children are very happy to be in school. They enjoy their breakfasts on arrival and are excited by the activities laid out for them.

p.6

The early years provision is good

 Staff are very skilled at engaging children in play to increase their confidence, curiosity and independence. They mingle with Nursery children and develop good, social, practical and physical skills as a result.  Teaching in Nursery and Reception is good overall. Indoor and outdoor activities challenge children’s imagination and encourage independence, self-esteem and their physical development particularly well. Opportunities for children to develop literacy and numeracy skills are plentiful. Role-play, to encourage confident speaking, features very strongly. Having to queue up to pay 10p for the ‘car wash’ also introduced children to some real-life mathematics. Phonics are taught very well and the impact of this on reading and writing skills is evident further up the school.  Children behave well and are kept very safe. Their personal and social skills are nurtured skilfully by all early years staff. Parents are very positive about how well their children are cared for. They are very

p.6

The early years provision is good

happy to join with staff in sharing the process of their children’s learning.  The early years provision is led and managed well by the headteacher, who retained responsibility while the recent merger was being established. Inspection evidence shows that this has been achieved successfully.

p.7

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

p.8

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.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 107688 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 448175

p.9

School details

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

p.9

School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 2–10 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 170 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mark Eaton Headteacher Jackie Wood Date of previous school inspection 23 March 2010 Telephone number 01484 222916 Fax number 01484 222916 Email address office@denbydale.education 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.9

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.10

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.10

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.10

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.10

School details

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

p.10