Sandy Lane Primary School

Sandy Lane Primary School Cottingley Road, Allerton, Bradford BD15 9JU

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a school that requires improvement

 The pace of improvement in the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils has been too slow since the last inspection. This is because school leaders have not, until recently, carried out enough checks on the work of staff particularly in mathematics.  Pupils’ progress in writing is not yet good. This is because pupils are not given sufficent opportunity to write longer pieces of work independently.  Least-able pupils do not always make as much progress as they should because work set for them is sometimes too easy or too hard and this slows their progress.  A small number of staff do not have a good enough knowledge of the subjects they teach. As a result, they do not always give pupils sufficient guidance on how to improve their work.  Leaders have not yet put in place good enough systems to ensure that pupils who have special educational needs or disability are supported to make the best progress they can.

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This is a school that requires improvement

 Subject leaders do not always check on the quality of teaching in their areas sufficiently rigorously.  In lessons where teaching is not as good as it should be, pupils sometimes become bored and their behaviour becomes less good.  Governors do not yet have good enough skills or understanding of school systems. For example, they are not clear about how much progress pupils should make and how well school leaders are performing. As a result, school improvement has been slower than it should have been.

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The school has the following strengths

 The new consultant headteacher is moving the school forward at a fast pace.  Work in pupils’ books is beginning to show that they are making better progress in most areas of the curriculum.  Children who join the school’s Reception class make good progress from their starting points.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good in some areas of the school, including in early years.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by: ensuring that work set meets the needs of least-able pupils more accurately and enables them to make as much progress as possible extending and deepening the subject knowledge of some teachers, particularly in mathematics and English, so that they are able to give more effective feedback to pupils and speed up their progress.  Accelerate pupils’ progress in writing by: – ensuring that the newly introduced whole-school strategy to develop pupils’ English is closely followed by all staff – increasing opportunities for pupils to undertake longer pieces of writing independently in order to improve and hone their skills.  Increase the effectiveness of leadership and management by: – improving and developing the role of the special educational needs coordinator so that the progress of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is more closely tracked and monitored

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– increasing the role played by subject leaders in checking the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement, particularly in mathematics – developing the skills and knowledge of governors so that they hold leaders to account more effectively. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Since the last inspection, the pace of improvement, particularly regarding the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils, has not been rapid enough. Following the recent departure of the headteacher, the acting headteacher and assistant headteacher have not yet brought about improvement at a sufficiently fast pace.  Systems in place to monitor the progress of pupils who have special educational needs are underdeveloped. Pupils make slower progress than they should because the effectiveness of support put in place is not checked often enough and leaders are not always clear how well pupils are doing.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has not been sufficiently well monitored and as a result has been slow to improve. Subject leaders do not always monitor the quality of teaching and learning in their curriculum areas as closely as they should. Sometimes teachers do not have good enough subject

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

knowledge to give guidance to pupils on how to improve their work, particularly in mathematics. When this happens, pupils’ progress slows.  The school does not yet make as effective use as it could of the extra money it receives to improve sport within school. While sports clubs are run, for example in football training and tag rugby, and a coach comes to school on a weekly basis, too few staff are being trained to improve their skills in delivering a range of different sports. This slows pupils’ progress in this subject and impacts on their development of healthy lifestyles.  The recently appointed consultant headteacher has a very clear vision about how to move the school forward. Working closely with members of the senior leadership team she has brought about change at a fast pace. School records and work in books show that pupils, particularly the most able, are now beginning to make good progress.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 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. The consultant headteacher is carrying out regular appraisals and clear feedback is being given to staff. This has directly contributed to recent improvements in the quality of teaching and assessment in the school.  The curriculum offers pupils a range of different opportunities to learn. Staff work closely together to plan work for pupils. Clear links are made between subjects through overarching topics. A partnership with another local school has led to changes to the way English is taught. This is relatively new, but school data suggests that this is beginning to improve standards. However, further work is needed to ensure that it is used consistently in all classrooms.  Pupils clearly enjoy the wide range of enrichment activities offered by the school. For example, pupils

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

described a recent trip to an outdoor pursuits centre as ‘an amazing experience’ and commented, ‘The zip wire was terrifying, but brilliant all at the same time.’ Trips to a diverse range of different places, including Skipton Castle to watch re-enactment of historical events, a sealife centre to gain a better knowledge of fish, and a chocolate factory bring learning to life and increase pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.  Nearly all parents spoken to informally at the start of the school day were positive about the school and the provision it makes for their children. Many cited very positive relationships with staff and liked the opportunity to visit their child’s class during regularly organised parents’ coffee mornings. However, several who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, were less happy. Their concerns were mainly centred around the quantity and quality of information given to them about the recent

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

changes in the school’s leadership. The consultant headteacher is aware of this and is planning to address this concern through a parents’ meeting to be held in the near future.  Pupils spoken to were very clear about the importance of showing respect to all groups of people within society. Through work in religious education they learn about other religious groups, and work in personal, social and health education enables them to develop an understanding of the importance of government and the rule of law. This contributes directly to their grasp of fundamental British values.  The governance of the school Governors have a range of skills and are dedicated to improving the school. However, currently they lack a clear understanding of how to move the school forward. Recently the school’s performance has dipped. Minutes from governing body meetings show that governors were not fully aware of the extent of this decline in standards and, as a result, did not offer

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

sufficient challenge to senior leaders to bring about improvement. Although governors recognise this now, further training is needed in order for them to contribute effectively to improving the school. Governors visit the school regularly and parent governors represent the community well and are known to parents. Health, safety and safeguarding checks are carried out rigorously and regularly, ensuring that the school is compliant with current legislation.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The single central record which records safeguarding checks carried out on staff is maintained to a high standard. Information is regularly updated and information is recorded effectively. Information in staff files is kept updated regularly.  Staff safeguarding training is updated regularly and all have completed the required training on the ‘Prevent’ duty (protecting children from radicalisation).

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 However, a discussion with the senior leader responsible for safeguarding showed that, until the recent arrival of the consultant headteacher, not all staff had read and understood the required paragraph in ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education, July 2015’. This is a safeguarding requirement and demonstrates a lapse in the school’s otherwise good record.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Teaching, learning and assessment across the school are not yet consistently good. This is because staff do not always have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve, and work set for pupils, particularly those who are least able, does not always match their needs accurately, which slows their progress.  Teachers’ subject knowledge is not always as strong as it should be, particularly in mathematics and sometimes in English. As a result, the feedback given to pupils does not always consistently help them to improve their work and this slows their progress over time.  The school has recently devised a new system to assess pupils’ progress. In line with recent changes, it does so without using levels of attainment. This is not yet securely in place nor is it clearly understood by all staff. However, very recent progress has been made in implementing the system and, as a result, staff are feeling more confident and assessment of the progress pupils make is now more accurately recorded.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 The quality of work in pupils’ books is inconsistent. In some areas of the school, pupils make good progress from a range of different starting points. For example, younger pupils observed during the inspection were busy discussing weather and its effect on all of us. Their views on the consequence a sand storm might have were perceptive and mature. The good-quality written work that followed reflected their discussion well. However, in another classroom, work set was the same for everyone and while most-able children enthusiastically engaged in the task, least-able pupils floundered and at times became distracted and started to talk about other things. When this happened, learning slowed.  Reading is well promoted across the school. Pupils regularly take reading books home to read with parents. Older pupils enjoy reading a wide selection of books from the school library.  The school has a very clear focus on developing pupils’ phonics skills (matching sounds to letters). Daily

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

phonics sessions are taught in the early years and Year 1. Pupils clearly enjoy these sessions and join in enthusiastically. For example, children in the early years could barely sit still, so excited were they at knowing the correct answer to the letter sounds ‘ai’ and ‘ay’.  Relationships between staff and pupils are good and contribute directly to the good behaviour often seen in lessons.  Staff work closely together as a team. The strong partnerships seen in the best classrooms ensure that pupils make good progress from different starting points.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  Pupils say they feel safe and secure in school. They feel the school helps them to feel safe outside school too, through, for example, lessons in internet safety undertaken in computing classes. However, in the recent past, the school has not promoted pupils’ welfare quite as well as it should. For example, staff safeguarding training in line with the latest guidance was not delivered until the arrival of the consultant headteacher, sometime later than might have been expected.  Pupils are clear about the different forms bullying can take, but as several pupils commented, ‘Bullying is rare here. If it does happen, we all know to tell a teacher and it gets sorted very quickly.’  Pupils who attend the school come from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds. Discussions with a group of pupils new to the school from Eastern Europe further evidenced the warm and friendly

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Personal development and welfare

atmosphere within school. One pupil said, ‘It’s easy to make friends when you come here because everyone is so welcoming and interested in your story.’  Pupils take part in a range of sporting, art and musical activities both in school and through after-school clubs, which successfully promote their physical and emotional well-being.  Through fundraising events such as the Sport Relief Day ‘run a mile’ organised by year 6, pupils learn the importance of responsibility and care for others. This contributes well to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Pupils know how to behave well. They often behave well outside lessons, for example when moving between classrooms. However, sometimes when lessons or assemblies are less interesting than pupils would like, behaviour can dip.  School records show that recorded incidents of difficult behaviour are rare. Parents also feel that overall pupils behave well when they are at school, with few concerns raised. However, several minor incidents of disruptive behaviour were observed during the inspection leading to minor disruption to learning.  The sterling work of the inclusion manager has paid dividends as pupils’ attendance has continued to increase since the previous inspection. Her clear focus on ensuring that all pupils attend regularly has improved attendance and punctuality overall. Strong relationships with parents have now been built which have also contributed to pupils’ improved attendance over time.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Pupils’ progress requires improvement. Current data shows that pupils’ progress in writing is weaker than in either mathematics or reading. Work in books shows that although a new whole-school approach to writing is now in place, it is not yet followed consistently by all staff.  Work in books also shows that pupils, particularly older pupils, do not have sufficient opportunities to undertake extended pieces of independent writing. As a result, their writing skills are slower to improve.  Children arrive in early years with a range of different knowledge and skills, often a little below those expected for their age. Last year children entered Year 1 having attained skills and knowledge very close to those expected nationally. This year has shown further improvement and 72% are on course to reach a good level of development. This demonstrates good progress.  Attainment of more than half the pupils who started in key stage 1 last year was in line with expected

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

national levels. Those left attained levels slightly lower than those expected nationally, particularly in writing and mathematics. This represents progress which requires improvement.  Last year overall, pupils’ attainment was lower than that of others nationally, particularly in mathematics. From their starting points, this represented progress which required improvement for many pupils.  Some pupils enter school at times other than at the start of the school year. Some are new to English. While individual pupils sometimes make good progress, overall progress for this group requires improvement.  Progress of disadvantaged pupils requires improvement. This is because checks on the quality of extra support put in place to meet the needs of these pupils are sometimes not carried out with sufficient care. As a result, the gap between the progress of this group and other groups is closing more slowly than it

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

should.  Currently most-able pupils are making faster progress than other groups. Some are making good and better progress, particularly where work set offers them a good level of challenge.

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Early years provision is good

 Despite a period without a leader, outcomes and what the school offers children in the early years are good. Teachers clearly recognise the varying needs of children and have put in place effective provision which enables them to make good progress from their starting points.  Some children who join the early years arrive with skills and knowledge below those expected for their age. By the end of their time in early years, an increasing number are meeting age-expected levels due to the good quality of provision in the Reception classes.  Children quickly settle when they arrive in the Reception classes, 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 improve their social skills and behaviour. For example, a group were observed working together to plant cress, sharing tools and discussing the best way to sprinkle seeds. They all worked

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Early years provision is good

together and were keen to show the inspector their hard work.  The welfare of each child is a very clear focus for all staff. Effective safeguarding procedures and policies are in place. As a result, pupils are safe, happy and well cared for.  Early years staff work closely together. Each child has a key worker who assesses their progress. The quality of observations in children’s learning journeys is good, and the 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 activities set inspire and engage them to learn. An increasing number are meeting the early learning goals at the end of Reception class and are 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 highly of staff who, they felt, support their children well.

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Early years provision is good

 Children who attend who are disadvantaged and receive extra funding make equally good progress. This is because of the effective use of this funding to support their learning.

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School details

Unique reference number 107219 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 10011974

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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 Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 309 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alan Brown Headteacher Lynette Brammah Telephone number 01274 546493 Website www.sandylaneprimary.co.uk Email address office@sandylane.bradford.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 19–20 February 2014

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Information about this school

 The school is a larger than average-sized primary school.  Since the school was last inspected, the headteacher has resigned and is due to leave her post in August 2016.  A consultant headteacher is currently in post who is working closely with the leadership team.  There have been a large number of staff changes since the previous inspection and monitoring visit. Five new staff members started in September 2015.  The school has recently received support from two local primary schools, East Morton Primary School and Cottingley Village Primary School.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expected attainment in English and mathematics.  Pupils who attend the school come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. An increasing number of pupils have little or no spoken English when they start school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed learning in all areas of the school and carried out joint observations with the consultant headteacher.  Meetings were held with staff, pupils, the leadership team, four members of the governing body and two representatives from the local authority.  Safeguarding documents, the school development plan and documents relating to pupils’ progress were among those scrutinised as part of the inspection process.  The views of 30 parents who responded to Parent View were taken into account. The views of a further 12 parents who spoke to the inspectors informally at the start of school were also taken into account.  The lead inspector held a meeting with staff to gather their views.

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Inspection team

Marian Thomas, lead inspector Lesley Bowyer Susan Birch Ofsted Inspector Ofsted 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

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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