High Bank Junior Infant and Nursery School

High Bank Junior Infant and Nursery School

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Eighth Avenue, Hightown, Liversedge, West Yorkshire WF15 8LD

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 The headteacher has a very clear vision for the school. Together with other senior leaders, she has steadily improved the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils since the previous inspection.  The newly re-formed governing body has supported school leaders in bringing about recent improvements. Their good knowledge and understanding of school data has enabled them to challenge leaders to continue to improve.  Teachers and other staff share a common aim to do the best for all the children in their care. They work hard to ensure that pupils make good progress from a wide variety of starting points.  The curriculum is exciting and is enriched with many opportunities to deepen pupils’ learning. For example the school’s ‘patron of reading’, a local author, visits regularly and has inspired children to pick up a book and start reading.  Early years staff are skilled at ensuring that planned learning meets their needs and this

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This is a good school

enables them to make good progress overall.  Pupils are clear about how to behave, both inside and outside lessons. They understand the importance of being polite and respectful to each other, staff and visitors.  Pupils clearly enjoy coming to school; this is reflected in attendance figures which are currently higher than the national average. The very popular breakfast club is attended by almost half of all pupils and ensures that many have a nutritious and calm start to the day.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils in the middle ability range in key stage 1 are not always provided with sufficiently challenging work in English and this hampers their progress.  Pupils do not always have sufficient opportunity to increase their knowledge and understanding of cultures and religions other than their own.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate pupils’ progress in English in key stage 1 by ensuring that work set for middle-ability pupils is sufficiently challenging so that they make the maximum progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase opportunities for pupils to learn about cultures and religions other than their own.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher and deputy have a very clear vision of how to take the school forward. The close-knit staff team and governors share their vision. As a result, since the previous inspection, the school has made very good progress towards improving the quality of teachers’ work and the outcomes for pupils.  The leadership team and the staff work very closely together to support pupils’ needs, both academically and socially and emotionally. Their continuing high expectations of both pupils’ behaviour and academic progress are moving the school forward.  Leaders know their school well, as is clear from their accurate self-evaluation and plans for the future.  A well-organised system of performance management is in place. Targets are closely linked to the school’s priorities for improvement. Any increases in staff pay are clearly linked to performance. Senior leaders carry out regular appraisals and clear feedback is given to staff. This has directly contributed to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

recent improvements in the quality of teaching and assessment in the school.  The school recognises that many of its pupils have significant barriers to learning and puts in place a wide range of support measures for both pupils and their families. For example, the school recognises that many children start school with speaking and listening difficulties. A close working partnership has been developed with Sure Start staff who run a playgroup for two-year-old children. School and Sure Start staff now work together and this has enabled children’s needs to be recognised at an earlier age and support put in place much sooner as a result. This is beginning to impact on the numbers of pupils with identified speech and language difficulties joining the school and has contributed to improved outcomes at the end of early years.  The curriculum offers pupils many different opportunities to learn. Staff work exceptionally hard to ensure

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

that the work set for pupils is imaginative and captures their interest. Clear links are made between subjects, and recent changes to the mathematics curriculum have resulted in a whole-school approach which successfully deepens pupils’ knowledge and has improved their levels of understanding.  The school has a very high number of disadvantaged pupils. In one year group more than 90% of pupils are supported by extra funding. The school uses the extra funding it receives well to support both the academic and social and emotional needs of its pupils. For example, individual pupils’ progress is very carefully tracked and monitored throughout their time in school. Should a pupil be identified as not making the expected progress, staff very quickly put in place support which enables them to catch up as rapidly as possible. As a result disadvantaged pupils make good progress overall.  The school makes effective use of the extra money it receives for increasing sport within school. The use

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

of professional sports coaches has increased the interest pupils have in sport and as a result attendance in the myriad after-school sports clubs has also increased. The well-used outdoor gym equipment available to older pupils in the playground has also increased pupils’ awareness of the link between exercise and better health. Several pupils expressed their enjoyment at using the equipment, saying: ‘We don’t have time to fall out at breaktime. We are too busy keeping fit.’  Pupils have a very good understanding of the structure of government and the rule of law. Year 6 pupils are excited about a forthcoming visit to the Houses of Parliament, by invitation of a local MP. Their experience will contribute well to their understanding of British values.  Visits to art galleries, museums and visits from Shakespearean theatre companies increase their levels of spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. However, their understanding of other cultures and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

religions is not quite as strong because they have not had sufficient opportunity to meet with others from different cultures or to visit other religious places such as a mosque or gurdwara. School leaders are aware that this is an area they need to address, but as yet progress has been slower than in other areas.  The governance of the school  School governors are clear about the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They are skilled at interpreting school data and effectively challenge leaders to continue to improve standards.  They are frequent visitors to school, undertaking a range of different activities including monitoring pupils’ progress and listening to pupils read. Parent governors regularly attend breakfast club, ensuring that parents have regular opportunities to raise any concerns they may have.  Governors are also keen that pupils know who they are and what they do. With this in mind they have

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

constructed a wall display in the form of the children’s game ‘Top Trumps’. Each governor describes their role in school and their ‘special power’ enables pupils from the youngest to the oldest to better understand school governance.  They attend training regularly and ensure that health and safety and safeguarding standards are maintained.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Safeguarding of children is clearly embedded in the school’s ethos. Staff understand safeguarding procedures well and undertake rigorous training. The school’s family support officer and the headteacher work closely with a wide range of outside agencies. They regularly attend case conferences and meetings in relation to pupils’ safeguarding. They also often take the lead in responding to issues relating to pupils and families and ensure that safeguarding processes and procedures are of the highest quality.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 School leaders and staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve, despite their often high levels of need. Many pupils enter the school at times other than the start of the school year; on arrival, their academic and social and emotional needs are assessed. This helps staff to identify gaps in pupils’ learning and enables them to provide support which enables pupils to catch up on missed learning.  Teachers carefully plan pupils’ future learning using information gained from previous lessons. Teachers and educational teaching assistants (ETAs) are skilled at using questions to find out how much pupils have understood and using this information to tailor further learning.  Reading is very well promoted across the school. Pupils have reading books which they take home to read with parents. Older pupils look forward to visits from their ‘patron of reading’, a local author, whose passion for reading enthuses and inspires pupils to read more. This helps develop a love of reading and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

improves their reading skills.  The school has a very clear focus on developing pupils’ phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) skills. Daily phonics sessions are taught from the early years to Year 2. Pupils clearly enjoy these sessions. For example, the excitement of Reception children was palpable as they carefully passed around the basket in which an unseen animal was hiding. The discovery of a model toad was greeted with squeaks of delight and the resulting task of identifying ‘oa’ words was completed enthusiastically.  Relationships between staff and pupils are very strong and contribute directly to the good behaviour seen in lessons. Staff know each pupil well and have high expectations of their behaviour. Pupils understand this well and disruption to learning is rare.  The recent focus on mathematics has improved standards across the school after last year’s dip. Staff say that recent training has improved their confidence and they are now teaching mathematics more

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

effectively than previously. Their new-found confidence has enabled pupils to make good progress because work set matches their needs more accurately. They are now concentrating on further developing a mastery approach to teaching mathematics in which pupils’ mathematical learning is deepened.  The school has recently looked carefully at the role that ETAs play in the classroom. Changes have been made, which include introducing more time for the teacher and ETAs to plan learning together. As a result, ETAs are more skilful and confident in the classroom and have contributed to the improvements seen since the last inspection.  Currently work in pupils’ books shows that they make slightly slower progress in English than in mathematics, particularly in key stage 1. Further analysis shows that some pupils in the middle ability range make less progress because work set is too easy and does not offer sufficient challenge to their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

abilities. This slows their progress over time.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils say how much they enjoy coming school. Many reasons are given, but the most popular is that ‘teachers make learning fun’.  ‘We are never bored’, said another group of pupils attending breakfast club, ‘There is always so much to do.’ The same pupils also said: ‘Bullying doesn’t really happen here because we all know each other.’ If it was to occur, pupils are clear about what action to take.  Staff and pupils are proud of their school. A comment made by pupils summed up their feelings well: ‘We are all part of a family.’ This is clearly evident in the care and concern shown for the welfare of all pupils and their families.  Pupils often start school with low levels of skills and expectations. School staff are particularly successful in engaging pupils and improving their self-esteem and belief in their own abilities

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils take part in a range of sporting and musical activities, both in school and through after-school clubs, which successfully promote their physical and emotional well-being.  Such values are also reflected in opportunities for pupils to show a sense of responsibility, for example through raising money by baking cakes and biscuits to sell as part of a fundraising initiative to buy a friendship bench for school.  Pupils are aware that discrimination and bullying can take many different forms, including online bullying. They feel safe in school and the work they do in school through personal, social and health education helps them to keep safe outside school.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Learning in most classrooms is rarely disrupted by pupils’ difficult behaviour. This is because staff have high expectations and the simple rules for behaviour are adhered to consistently.  Their behaviour outside the classroom is also good. Pupils frequently show kind and considerate attitudes to each other, staff and visitors, as demonstrated by the calm way they walk along the corridor or take turns at skipping games in the playground.  Pupils clearly enjoy coming to school. This can be seen by their smiles and their punctual arrival, sometimes well before breakfast club starts.  School leaders have worked exceptionally hard to form strong relationships with parents, even those who were the most difficult to reach. This has contributed significantly to pupils’ high levels of attendance, which at the time of the inspection were above the national average for primary schools.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 The small numbers of pupils in each year group make comparisons difficult, however, school data clearly shows that overall pupils make good and better progress from a range of starting points.  Pupils often arrive in the school at times other than the start of the school year. Some arrive with little or no English, from families who are new to England. They quickly settle into the nurturing environment of the school and start to engage with learning and make good progress over time.  Despite their low starting points, by the end of key stage 1, gaps in pupils’ attainment are closing and pupils are beginning to catch up with expected standards, particularly in mathematics. However, progress is currently slower in English because work set does not always enable middle-ability pupils to make as much progress as they are capable of, and this slows progress overall.  By the end of key stage 2 the standards reached by most pupils are at or close to those expected

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Outcomes for pupils are good

nationally.  The very small number of more-able pupils make good progress across the curriculum. This is because staff always provide extra challenges, ensuring that they are given ample opportunity to make the progress of which they are capable.  School data shows that currently the small number of pupils who have attended the school continuously from Reception to Year 6 have made very good progress in mathematics and English. This is further evidenced by the good levels of progress seen in pupils’ books.  Most children who attend the school are from disadvantaged backgrounds and receive extra funding. Currently this group is making similar progress to others nationally and similar progress to their peers.  School data shows that the large group of pupils who have special educational needs make good progress from a wide range of starting points. Their continuous monitoring by the school’s special educational

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Outcomes for pupils are good

needs coordinator (SENCo) ensures that their needs are identified at an early stage and extra support is put in place.  At the end of Year 6, pupils make a successful transition to a range of different high schools. Recent information shows that the school’s high aspirations for pupils, for example, through the annual Year 6 careers week, are beginning to pay dividends. A small group of pupils who attended the school in the past are believed to be applying for university currently.

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Early years provision is good

 Leadership in the early years is good. The early years leader clearly recognises the varying needs of children and has put in place provision which effectively meets their needs.  Children who join the early years nearly all join with skills and knowledge below and often well below those expected of their age. Most are behind by one if not two stages in their development, particularly in speaking, listening and early reading and writing skills. By the end of their time in early years an increasing number are beginning to meet age-expected levels due to the good quality of provision in Nursery and Reception classes.  School leaders have worked hard with colleagues from the local Sure Start provision to ensure that support for children, particularly for those with speech and language difficulties, starts earlier. Speech and language therapists now run clinics at the school and school staff deliver speech and language

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Early years provision is good

programmes. As a result the school has seen a reduction in the number of pupils on the special needs register in key stage 1.  Children quickly settle when they arrive in the Reception class, as evidenced by the calm and happy way they separate from their parents each morning. Planned activities enable them to learn how to take turns and these improve their social skills and behaviour. For example, a group were observed building a den. They all worked together to put together the frame and were keen to show the inspector their hard work.  The welfare of each child is a very clear focus for all staff. Safeguarding procedures and policies are of the same high standard as others within in the school. As a result pupils are safe, happy and well cared for.  Early years staff work in the same cohesive manner as other staff in the school. Each child has a key worker who assesses their progress. The quality of observations in children’s learning journeys is good,

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Early years provision is good

and information is used to plan the next steps in learning for both individuals and groups.  Overall, children make good progress from their starting points because the activities set inspire and engage them to learn. An increasing number are beginning to meet the early learning goals at the end of Reception class and are increasingly well prepared for their transition to Year 1.  Parents say the school gives their children a very good start in school. During the inspection they spoke very highly of staff who, they felt, supported their whole family as well as their children.  The majority of children who attend are disadvantaged and receive extra funding. The effective use of this funding ensures that this group make similar progress to their peers.

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School details

Unique reference number 107684 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 10011994

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Nursery, Infant, Junior school School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 146 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Graeme Sunderland Headteacher Karen Summers Telephone number 01274 335237 Website www.highbankschool.co.uk Email address head@highbankschool.co.uk Date of previous inspection 19–20 February 2014

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Pupils who attend come predominantly from the Hightown area. Many come from a large local estate which has a high proportion of social housing.  The school has a much higher than average proportion of disadvantaged pupils. It also has a higher than average proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability.  The school works closely with staff from the local Sure Start children’s centre.  The school is part of a partnership between four local schools who share resources and expertise.  The school now leads the Windy Bank Learning and Community hub, which is a pilot service which supports families’ health and children’s education.  Since the previous inspection the school has expanded into the children’s centre building and this now houses the school’s early years provision.  The school meets the current floor standards for primary schools, which are the minimum expectations,

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Information about this school

set by the government, for pupils at the end of key stage 2.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed learning in all areas of the school and carried out joint observations with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with staff, pupils, the leadership team, four members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Safeguarding documents, the school’s development plan and documents relating to pupils’ progress were among those scrutinised as part of the inspection process.  The views of eight parents who responded to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, were taken into account. The views of a further 12 parents who spoke to the inspector informally at the start and finish of school were also taken into account.

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Inspection team

Marian Thomas, Lead inspector Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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