Home Farm Primary School

Home Farm Primary School Home Farm Close, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD6 3NR

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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

 Senior leaders communicate high expectations of pupils and staff. Systems to check on the quality of teaching and pupil’s progress provide a secure platform for further school improvement.  Good teaching helps most pupils to make better progress in their learning. Teaching assistants work very effectively.  Funding to support disadvantaged pupils is used well. These pupils are catching up in their learning.  Senior and subject leaders have planned a curriculum that offers rich learning experiences. This is extended through a well-planned programme of extra-curricular opportunities.  Children thrive in the early years because staff plan activities carefully to meet different learning needs.  Because pupils behave well and display positive attitudes, lesson time is used well and learning is productive.  Staff provide high-quality nurturing support in the Orchard Room. This helps pupils with social and emotional difficulties enjoy their learning.

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This is a good school

 Well-informed governors work effectively with school leaders to put agreed decisions successfully into action.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Most-able pupils do not always have the opportunity to tackle challenging work soon enough in lessons.  Sometimes pupils who have completed work successfully have to wait for the teacher before moving on to the next learning task.  Tasks in mathematics do not always build up pupils’ deeper understanding in a clear sequence of learning steps.  Pupils’ handwriting and spelling are inconsistent across some year groups.  Although pupils are working closer to standards expected of their age, too few are working in greater depth.  Attendance remains below the national average, despite concerted work with parents about the issue.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the rates at which pupils make progress towards and beyond typical standards by: using assessment information more effectively so that pupils move on quickly in their learning when ready to do so ensuring that the most able pupils work in greater depth at an earlier stage of the lesson planning sequences of learning in mathematics so that each step deepens understanding.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of pupils’ writing by: raising expectations around the teaching of handwriting so that pupils develop good writing habits, fluency and style by teaching letter patterns and spelling rules more systematically and by placing more emphasis on the need to spell common and key words correctly.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Senior leaders have established clear guidelines around teaching and have provided structured training and frequent monitoring to help staff improve their practice. Teachers have responded well to higher expectations and as a result teaching is now consistently good.  The headteacher and senior leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and where further improvement is required. The school improvement plan and the arrangements for the management of performance are becoming better linked to learning outcomes, although still lack some sharpness around measurable target points.  Very detailed and searching reviews of pupils’ progress pinpoint the need for additional teaching for those pupils who may have not fully understood their learning or who need extra support.  Teaching has improved and as a result the majority of pupils are making better progress and reaching standards closer to those seen nationally. More pupils are now working at greater depth but these

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

proportions are still below those seen nationally.  Most issues identified from the last inspection have been addressed successfully, although attendance levels remain below national averages. Attendance has improved, however, over time and from the previous inspection.  Leaders of English and mathematics and also of other subjects have a clear view of developments across the curriculum. They routinely carry out a range of checks and reviews to monitor standards and the quality of teaching. This work is embedded and is a strong feature of the school.  Staff have benefited from partnership working with the Great Heights local cluster of schools. Through this link, staff have been able to visit other settings to see good and outstanding teaching and to compare the standards of pupils’ written work.  The curriculum is well organised and enriched through first-hand experiences, such as the Year 1 visit to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

the seaside, and by links to life in other countries. Pupils are engaged and keen to participate in lessons because the learning activities are varied and interesting.  Leaders have ensured that a well-planned programme of assemblies and additional learning focuses, such as Black History Week, prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils were very confident in talking about democracy in action, and the need to show tolerance and respect for other groups, cultures and beliefs.  There is an impressive programme of extra-curricular activities and opportunities for pupils beyond the school day. Activities that include mathematics, computers, cooking and gardening are rotated to provide wider experiences. Pupils were particularly proud of the range of healthy plants and vegetables growing in the large school polytunnel.  Leaders use funding to support disadvantaged pupils well. They have targeted it to meet pupils’ academic

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

and emotional needs. As a result of these strategies, disadvantaged pupils and especially those with behavioural difficulties are making better progress.  The funding for physical education and sport is also used well. Sports coaches work alongside staff to develop their skills. In addition to traditional team games, they provide more unusual activities, such as curling and dodgeball. These clubs are well attended and pupils spoke enthusiastically about the range of activities on offer.  Leaders promote a clear behaviour code that pupils respect and regard as fair. When a small minority of pupils have presented challenging behaviour, this has been dealt with effectively with parental support, and there have been no repetitions.  Responses from parents through Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, confirm that parents have a positive opinion of the school. Several parents commented that they find leaders and staff approachable,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

and that they show a real interest in their children.  The governance of the school Governors work well with leaders to support them but also to challenge them on the strategic direction of the school. They keep themselves up to date with current developments through training and frequent visits to see the school in action. They have also established closer links with parents. Governors make sure that they can call on a wide range of expertise and continually review their effectiveness. For example, when recruiting new governors, they consider carefully what additional skills would be of the greatest benefit. There are individual link governors for key school phases and subjects. They are highly involved in meeting leaders to assess school improvement progress and in reporting back to committee and full governing body meetings.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Recruitment procedures are secure and leaders are

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

effective in ensuring that staff are kept updated about how to identify and support pupils who may be at risk of harm.  The attractive school environment is clean, safe and secure.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching is now consistently good across the majority of year groups. This is because learning activities engage pupils and are focused to meet pupils’ needs. As a result, pupils behave well and use their learning time productively.  The new resources that leaders introduced to support the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics following the previous inspection have proved useful. Because training has improved teachers’ subject knowledge, they are able to make increasingly selective use of these materials when planning learning tasks.  Teachers make good use of questioning to probe and deepen understanding. There are also opportunities for pupils to explain their thinking, voice an opinion or argue a case, as seen in a lively Year 5 lesson when the class was asked whether the favelas should be demolished in the build-up to the 2016 Olympics.  Pupils understand the feedback that teachers provide and like using their green pens for editing their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

writing and mathematics work. They say that the teachers make sure that pupils do their corrections and understand how to improve their writing. They explained that there are different learning targets for the most able pupils.  Teachers also provide consistent feedback about improvements in subjects other than English and mathematics. Because teachers have high expectations, tasks are motivating and pupils take a pride in the work they produce. Thematic work is a real strength.  Pupils who are less able are very well supported because teachers and teaching assistants organise lessons and seating so that they can quickly direct help to these pupils. Teaching assistants were particularly effective in working with individuals and small groups, for example, in the sessions observed on phonics (letters and sounds) with Reception children.  Work in books across the school show that pupils are making good progress in their writing. Teachers

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

provide a wealth of writing activities for a range of purposes. Year 1 pupils showed great enjoyment in writing about sloths as part of their rainforest theme, while Year 4 took notes from a video clip about chocolate production.  Although most written work is well presented, there is inconsistency across the school in the way handwriting is taught. A significant minority of pupils display poor writing habits such as weak pencil grips or posture. Insufficient guidance is given to the correct formation of letters.  Approaches to teaching phonics are effective in helping younger pupils sound out words in their reading. However, teachers do not yet place enough emphasis on developing pupils’ knowledge of letter patterns and rules for spelling.  The teaching of mathematics is providing strong challenge for all groups. Pupils have plentiful opportunities to develop key skills through the maths passport activities and the daily number practice

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

sessions. Teachers encourage pupils to explain processes to partners and this is helping to develop better understanding.  There has been a strong focus on developing science. The work seen in books provided evidence of pupils carrying out practical investigations and also making good use of mathematics skills.  In a minority of mathematics lessons, however, progress was slower because activities were repetitive or too similar, without extending understanding on a step-by-step basis. Occasionally, the most able pupils did not meet the more challenging tasks soon enough.  The school sets a range of homework that offers a balance between key skills practice tasks and projects to follow up aspects of thematic work. Year 6 pupils were enthusiastic about the holiday zone theme park they recently produced as a homework choice.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote personal development and welfare is good. Pupils say that work is interesting and makes them think more. They like the regular homework provided, the educational visits to places such as Buckden House or the local airport, and the opportunity to meet different visitors who come into school.  Pupils feel safe in all areas of the school and trust the adults to look after them. They remember the safety messages given by the police and road safety officers who visited the school and are very clear about the need to be careful online.  They know that it is important to maintain a healthy diet and not to eat too many fatty or sugary foods, ‘because that’s not good for your heart and you might develop diabetes’.  Bullying used to occur but it is much reduced. Pupils explained that it is dealt with quickly, saying, ‘It has been sorted.’ They said the strong messages they receive from adults about respecting people from

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Personal development and welfare

different backgrounds help them to get on with each other.  The work of the school in promoting an understanding about life in modern Britain is already well developed. Opportunities to consider British values are interwoven into assemblies and curriculum schemes. Displays around school celebrate this aspect.  All staff are clear about whom to inform if they have concerns about pupils who may be at risk of harm. Staff responsible for safeguarding quickly follow up any issues and have alerted external agencies where necessary to provide intervention. Such timely actions have significantly reduced the likelihood of harm for a few pupils in vulnerable circumstances.  Staff manage the site well. The headteacher and governors carry out risk assessments to ensure that the school environment is safe and secure for pupils and staff.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They settle down to work quickly in lessons so that learning proceeds smoothly, and they conduct themselves around school in a calm and orderly way. They are friendly and polite to visitors and happy to engage in conversations.  In a small number of lessons observed, there was some off-task behaviour by a few pupils, but this largely stemmed from teaching that was less engaging than typical.  Pupils are committed to improving their work. They respond well to their teachers and work conscientiously, taking a pride in what they produce. They are keen to point out their work where it is celebrated through the attractive displays around school.  A small minority of pupils struggle to manage their behaviour. Adults support these pupils well and the number of fixed-term exclusions is reducing with no repetitions for individuals. The outstanding work in the Orchard nurture room to support pupils with significant behaviour and emotional difficulties is having

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Behaviour

a strong impact on their social and life skills.  Staff have worked with parents to promote better attendance for some groups, especially in the early years. These efforts have had a positive impact and attendance has risen slightly. However, latest figures show that it remains below the national average.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Work in books and the school’s own assessments across all year groups show secure progress for all groups from the start of the school year. This is because better teaching, a well-structured curriculum and improved learning attitudes have contributed to better outcomes.  In Year 1, pupils’ phonics skills had risen steadily in recent years to reach typical standards but in 2016 there was a slight dip. Leaders identified where some sounds had not been taught in sufficient depth and have quickly rectified the problem. Pupils who did not meet the phonics check are given additional support in Year 2 and the repeat check results reflect those seen nationally.  Standards at key stage 1 rose in 2015 and have improved again in 2016 so that the proportion of pupils meeting typical expectations, especially in mathematics, is likely to be in line with national averages. More pupils are now working at higher levels than before, especially in reading.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 At the end of key stage 2, results in 2015 were below those nationally in all subjects. Results from the latest key stage 2 statutory assessments are also below national averages, but are yet to be reviewed. Work in books and the school’s own assessments, however, indicate that progress for key stage 2 pupils is accelerating and that increasing proportions are approaching standards typical for their age.  Pupils read confidently in lessons and enjoy talking about their book and favourite author choices from the well-stocked school library. The broad curriculum offers good opportunities for pupils to read for different purposes. This was seen in a Year 6 lesson where pupils analysed the persuasive language used in promotional brochures for a traditional seaside holiday camp.  Pupils write for a variety of purposes. Work in books shows improvement over time for all groups. Writing is showing progress in the development of sentences and pupils are not afraid to include adventurous

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Outcomes for pupils are good

vocabulary, although spelling attempts are not always plausible.  Work across other subjects matches the quality seen in English and mathematics and covers a wide range of curriculum areas. There was some particularly detailed written work about world religions by Year 6 pupils.  In mathematics, pupils complete a pleasing amount of work that is generally accurate and well presented. They are developing a more secure understanding of number because they practise mental calculations frequently. In a Year 6 class, pupils were confidently able to calculate and explain strategies for solving division problems involving decimals.  All pupils are making pleasing progress in arithmetic but there are also opportunities to apply these skills to worded problems and in other subjects where work includes use of measurement, data handling and timelines.  The most able pupils are now working at greater depth because they are better challenged. One Year 5

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Outcomes for pupils are good

pupil said, ‘At the start of the year our work was a little repetitive but then it got better and now questions are more complex.’ They like solving problems and investigating patterns, but sometimes feel that they could move onto more difficult work at an earlier stage of the lesson.  Pupils for whom the school receives additional funding are making good progress in the majority of year groups from their starting points across all subjects. Least-able pupils are making better than expected progress.  The progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is good, although most pupils are working at standards below those that are typical for their age. Staff have focused energy on identifying gaps in learning and have introduced additional intervention support to address these. Progress is most marked in mathematics at key stage 1 and in writing at key stage 2.  Pupils work well in lessons, respond well to their teachers and take a pride in their work. These positive

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Outcomes for pupils are good

attitudes and the good progress they are making as seen in books mean that they are prepared for secondary education.

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Early years provision is good

 Children join the Nursery from a very wide number of settings and with abilities that are generally below what is typically seen on entry. A considerable number of children display speech and language delay or have specific additional needs.  The early years leader has a clear view of the provision and knows where further improvements can be made. She has established effective systems to record and track children’s progress.  Assessments are accurate and show good progress for most groups. The new electronic assessment of learning profiles allows parents to add to the records of observations, and some parents have started to do this with support from staff.  More children have met the expected good level of development over time so that, in 2015, outcomes were close to national averages. However, the gap in attainment between boys and girls had been wide. Staff have worked hard to address this issue and in 2016 the gap has closed significantly.

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Early years provision is good

 Leaders have made a considerable investment in staffing and resources to improve the provision for disadvantaged pupils and those who have special needs and/or disabilities. This has had a positive effect on these children’s personal, social and emotional development. However, the full impact on learning is yet to be seen.  All staff plan together to ensure that there is a wide range of experiences to entice and engage children. The learning environment, especially indoors, is well organised, attractively resourced and used profitably. Children are able to use their initiative, as seen where a small group were selecting preferred pieces of work to go into their learning journey folders.  The outdoor provision provides many opportunities for children to explore on a larger scale, but planning for learning in these spaces does not fully include the range of curriculum areas.  Activities are planned well to help children work well together, as seen in Nursery, where several Nursery

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Early years provision is good

children were happily and cooperatively absorbed in filling containers at the sand trough. In Reception, children were helping each other to cut up watermelons and they took delight in finding the seeds.  Children are happy, keen learners who relish coming to school and quickly adapt to the well-established routines. They behave well and show kindness to other children.  Staff keep a close eye on the children’s welfare and ensure that they are properly dressed for the activities, that hands are clean for eating, and that noses are blown in the ‘nose-blowing area’. Toilet areas are kept clean and tidy.  Parents are more involved in their children’s learning than at the time of the previous inspection and staff provide guidance to them to support children’s learning at home. Parents commented on how well their children have settled down in the Nursery.

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School details

Unique reference number 131357 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 10012007

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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 3−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 432 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mrs Farhana Younis Principal Mr John Macdonald Telephone number 01274 777020 Website www.homefarm.bradford.sch.uk Email address office@homefarm.bradford.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 12−13 March 2014

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Pupils of White British heritage make up around two thirds of the school population. Pupils of Pakistani origin make up around half of the remaining pupils.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is higher than average. (The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, and children looked after by the local authority.)  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is around the national average. The proportion of pupils with statements of special educational needs, or education, health and care plans, is below the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards that set out the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Children in the early years attend part time in Nursery and full time in Reception.

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was in post at the time of the previous inspection.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed a total of 34 lessons or part-lessons across all classes.  Inspectors listened to readers from Year 2 and all key stage 2 groups.  Work in English, mathematics and foundation subjects was sampled jointly with the deputy headteacher and an assistant headteacher.  Meetings were conducted with senior leaders, middle leaders, subject leaders, governors, newly qualified and recently qualified teachers, and three groups of pupils from key stage 1 and key stage 2. In addition, meetings were held with the local authority.  Inspectors analysed information from a scrutiny of school documentation. This included published data about pupils’ progress and attainment, previous inspection and monitoring reports, and the school’s latest assessment information.  Inspectors also viewed school and subject improvement plans; the school’s own evaluative judgements about its effectiveness; the school’s information about the performance of current pupils; curriculum

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Information about this inspection

outlines; school monitoring information including records of staff training and appraisal; governing body minutes; safeguarding documentation; and reports about the school’s effectiveness from the local authority.  The views of parents were taken into account through informal discussions and by analysing responses from the 40 parents who completed Parent View. The school’s own recent parental survey information was also considered.  The views of pupils were taken into account through three planned meetings.  The views of staff were taken into account by analysing responses from the 39 staff who completed the inspection questionnaire.

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Inspection team

James Reid, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Susan Twaits Ofsted Inspector Eithne Proffitt 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

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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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