Fieldhead Primary Academy

Fieldhead Primary Academy Charlotte Close, Birstall, Batley, West Yorkshire WF17 9BX

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is an inadequate school

 Too few pupils across the academy, including the most able, make enough progress or reach the standards that are expected for their age. As a result, pupils are not well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Actions by leaders and governors have not improved the quality of teaching and learning quickly enough. Identified shortcomings in the quality of teaching are not followed up with the necessary rigour to bring about rapid improvements.  Initiatives to bring about improvements have not been sustained or consistently implemented across the school. Significant changes to staffing have also hampered this.  Those responsible for governance do not hold leaders to account with the necessary robustness to bring about rapid change.  Disadvantaged pupils do not make enough progress. The gap in achievement to other pupils nationally is growing.  Many teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low. There are not enough

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This is an inadequate school

opportunities for pupils, including the most able, to deepen and extend their thinking across a range of subjects.  Despite work to promote pupils’ understanding of respect and tolerance, incidents of racist name- calling are unacceptably high.  Middle leaders have not been effective in improving pupils’ achievement in English or mathematics.  The proportion of pupils absent from school is above the national average and is not improving.  When teaching does not enthuse pupils, low-level disruption is commonplace.  Incidents of bullying are high. Leaders have not sought the views of parents or pupils to check if their actions have had a positive impact in addressing this problem.

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The school has the following strengths

 Recent improvements in the leadership and teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) have resulted in pupils making better  The establishment of an inclusion team has resulted in an improving provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. progress in their reading skills.

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Full report

In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Urgently improve leadership and management by: – ensuring that all new initiatives are sustained consistently well across the whole school – making sure that identified weaknesses in the quality of teaching are followed up swiftly with the necessary rigour to ensure that rapid improvements are made and sustained – consistently using systems, such as pupil progress meetings, to effectively hold teachers robustly to account for the progress that pupils make – ensuring that subject leaders in mathematics and English play a greater role in bringing about rapid improvements in the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects – taking care to listen to the views of all those associated with the school so that leaders are sure that their actions are having an immediate impact on eradicating racist name-calling and bullying – making sure that those responsible for governance bring about rapid improvements by holding leaders

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

stringently to account – using extra funding for disadvantaged pupils effectively to narrow the gap in achievement to other pupils nationally.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Rapidly improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and in so doing improve the progress of all groups of pupils across the school by: – ensuring that all teachers and teaching assistants have the very highest expectations of what pupils can achieve – making certain that all pupils, including the most able, are given work that matches their ability and challenges them to think more deeply – checking that all teachers use the school’s marking and feedback policy to support pupils to understand how to get better – ensuring that pupils understand precisely what is expected of them and what they need to do to succeed in every lesson – making sure that all learning support assistants are used effectively to support pupils’ learning – giving pupils more opportunities to apply their spelling, punctuation and grammar skills to their writing – making sure that teachers only accept the very best work from pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Urgently improve pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare by: – eradicating the high frequency of racist name-calling in the school – ensuring that incidents of bullying reduce rapidly – making sure that the incidence low-level disruptive behaviour within the classroom continues to reduce – reducing the proportion of pupils who are absent from school so that it is at least in line with the national average.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve children’s achievement in the early years so that they are better equipped with the skills necessary for their learning in Year 1 by: – making sure that assessments of what children can do are used consistently and effectively by teachers to plan learning activities that develop essential skills – ensuring that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is equally strong across nursery and reception – giving children frequent opportunities to develop their language and communication skills.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of how pupil premium funding is spent should be undertaken to improve this aspect of leadership and management.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

 Leaders’ actions have not resulted in rapid enough improvements in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Leaders’ capacity for improvement has been somewhat hampered by a significant number of staffing changes over the past 12 months. As a result, the progress that pupils make and the standards that they reach in reading, writing and mathematics, across the school, are not good enough.  Leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching and on the progress that pupils make give them an accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses of these areas. However, identified weaknesses are not rigorously and robustly followed up. Support that is put in place for teachers does not result in the rapid improvements that are required.  Systems to hold teachers to account and improve pupil outcomes are not effective. Meetings between the principal and class teachers identify pupils who are not reaching the standards expected. However,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

meetings are not followed up with the necessary thoroughness to ensure that agreed actions are being implemented or are having a positive impact.  Actions implemented by leaders have not been sustained with the quality or consistency needed to bring about the necessary improvements in pupil outcomes. This is because leaders have not checked fully that teachers have followed their lead or gauged their impact.  Subject leaders, have not brought about the changes required to improve the provision of mathematics, reading and writing quickly enough. Initiatives in mathematics, for example, introduced in the autumn term, have not been implemented consistently across the school. The leadership of mathematics has been hampered by staffing changes. The previous mathematics subject leader left the school in April 2016. Since his appointment to the role in May, the current mathematics leader has not had an

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

opportunity to implement any substantial changes or to undertake checks on pupils’ work to gauge strengths and weaknesses across the school.  Likewise, in reading and writing, actions to improve the quality of teaching have been adopted inconsistently. The subject leader has been unable to monitor the quality of teaching and learning with the rigour required. Her capacity to undertake her role has been hindered because of lack of time to carry out her role fully.  Some leaders are making a difference. Action taken by the recently appointed leader for phonics has resulted in improvements in the progress that pupils make in developing their knowledge and understanding. While these improvements have come too late to have a significant impact on the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in this year’s phonics screening check, standards are now above those seen in 2015.  The appointment of an inclusion leader and the development of an inclusion team have resulted in an

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

improving provision for pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities. The leader has a clear long-term vision and has implemented sustainable actions and delivered training to staff. This is resulting in pupils beginning to make the progress that they are capable of.  A varied curriculum provides pupils with good opportunities to study a broad range of interesting topics. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is promoted effectively. Pupils’ understanding of religious diversity is enhanced through topics linked to different world religions. A recent diversity week has contributed to the promotion of pupils’ understanding of the values of respect and tolerance.  Leaders make clear that any discriminatory behaviour, such as racism, is not tolerated in the school. As a result of a focus on this area, staff and pupils have a good understanding of what forms this type of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

behaviour may take. Any reported incidents are dealt with appropriately and swiftly by senior leaders. However, leaders do not effectively monitor the impact of their actions, for instance by questioning pupils or analysing data over time, to ensure that there has not been any repetition of this behaviour. Data provided by the school indicates that the number of reported racist incidents is high and has increased over this year. Thus significant further work needs to be undertaken with pupils  Extra funding to help close gaps between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and others is not used effectively. Nonetheless, the appointment of a teacher with responsibility for this group of pupils has had an impact on the pupils that she works directly with. As a result, in two classes disadvantaged pupils have made more progress than other pupils in the school in some subjects. However, these improvements are

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

not widespread. The gap to other pupils nationally is growing.  Leaders use sports funding effectively. Teachers have worked alongside sports coaches to develop their own expertise. A wide range of extra-curricular sports clubs is on offer and ensures that greater proportions of pupils are engaged in healthy activities.  The governance of the school – Members of the ‘task group’ (those responsible for governance) have a good grasp of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They reflect the open and honest appraisal by the principal that standards across the school are not good enough. – Members of the group use information provided by the principal and by academy trust consultants to ask challenging questions about the quality of teaching and pupil outcomes. However, they do not always follow questions up with the necessary robustness to bring about the rapid improvements that are required. – The trust has supported the school, through additional funding, to appoint an extended leadership

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

team. Efforts have been hampered by significant staffing changes, including resignations. However, plans are in place for a new structure from September 2016, aimed to give leaders greater capacity to improve.  The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective. This is because leaders do not fully protect pupils from racist name-calling and incidents of bullying. Other procedures and policies to keep pupils safe are robust. All checks to ensure that adults are cleared to work with children have been undertaken and are recorded in the single central record of recruitment checks. The recently formed inclusion team further supports this aspect through close work with families and external agencies.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

 Too many pupils across the school make inadequate progress and do not reach the standards expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers do not consistently plan work that matches pupils’ needs or abilities. All too often teachers set their sights of what pupils can achieve too low. There are not enough opportunities for pupils, including the most able, to deepen their knowledge and extend their thinking across a range of subjects.  In some classes, marking and feedback in pupils’ workbooks does not adhere to the school’s marking policy, and is not helpful in enabling pupils to understand how they can improve their work.  Pupils’ books show that in too many classes, teachers are prepared to accept work that is not good enough. For example, the quality of presentation and handwriting varies substantially from class to class.  In a significant proportion of lessons that inspectors observed, pupils were not clear of what was

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

expected of them or what they needed to do to succeed. This was because teachers did not make it clear what pupils needed to do or how to be successful.  In the classroom, good relationships between teachers, teaching assistants and pupils is helping to develop pupils’ confidence and self-esteem. Adults provide good role models. In one class, for example, pupils were encouraged by the class teacher when they provided incorrect answers. This helped them to understand that learning from mistakes can help them to become better at mathematics.  In the best lessons, teachers enthuse pupils because they plan exciting lessons that develop interest and curiosity, as seen in the work of the forest school. In a Year 5 lesson, for example, pupils deepened their understanding of photosynthesis. The Forest School leader used questioning effectively to encourage pupils to think more deeply about the results of their practical experiment.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

 In some classes, interventions that are delivered by learning support assistants are helping pupils to move forward in their learning. In Year 1, for instance, a well-structured support session, underpinned by good adult and pupil relationships, enabled pupils to develop their phonics knowledge well. However, in some other classes, learning support assistants are not always used well. This is because they are not given clear direction or do not have sufficient subject knowledge to support pupils’ learning effectively.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  Work to promote pupils’ understanding of tolerance and respect has not been fully effective. Discussions with pupils and analysis of school records show that racist name-calling happens frequently in the school. Leaders have not effectively sought the views of all learners or parents to gauge the impact of their actions to tackle this problem. Initiatives such as ‘diversity week’ have gone some way to addressing this issue of racist name-calling. However, the wider curriculum does not provide enough opportunities for pupils to fully develop a deep understanding of fundamental British values like respect or valuing differences in others.  Pupils’ attitudes towards their learning are improving. Increasingly, pupils participate in lessons well and are willing to volunteer answers. This is because adults have cultivated good relationships with pupils that

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Personal development and welfare

are helping to develop confidence. Nonetheless, there are still pupils who are reluctant to participate fully in lessons, and consequently their learning falters.  Pupils are developing a growing understanding of the importance of their education. The introduction of learning assemblies and Fabulous Fieldheaders further promotes this message and helps pupils to share and celebrate their successes.  The recently formed inclusion team contributes increasingly to the promotion of the emotional well-being of pupils. Links with external agencies are now being used effectively to provide support for a growing number of pupils. Much of this work is at an early stage, so the full impact of this approach is yet to be seen. Other initiatives, such as the recently introduced play therapy sessions, further enhance this aspect of the school’s work.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is inadequate. Despite a zero tolerance approach, unacceptable incidences of racist name-calling have not been fully eradicated. Work by leaders has ensured that pupils now have a good understanding of the different types of bullying. Most pupils say that incidents of bullying are dealt with firmly. However, a significant number of parents who replied to the online questionnaire and several pupils do not have confidence that this issue is addressed effectively. School data shows that the incidence of bullying has fallen this term.  Leaders and pupils state that behaviour across the school is improving. Pupils say that this is because ‘teachers are now more able to deal with it’. In most lessons, pupils begin by paying attention and listening attentively to their teacher. However, where teaching fails to ignite pupils’ interests, behaviour deteriorates and consequently has a negative impact on learning.

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Behaviour

 Leaders have taken effective steps to improve behaviour at lunch and breaktime. Increased levels of staffing mean that pupils are well supervised and have opportunities to engage in organised activities with adults. As a result, behaviour has improved at these times.  Exclusions for poor behaviour are above that seen nationally. There are indications this term that these are beginning to fall as higher expectations and systems to support those pupils with the most challenging behavioural difficulties begin to take effect.  School leaders’ efforts to improve attendance have had mixed results. Pupils’ overall attendance rates have fallen since 2015 and are below the national average. However, work to improve persistent absence is paying dividends. School records show that support put in place for these pupils is having a positive impact and they are attending school more regularly. Furthermore, a systematic approach to addressing

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Behaviour

poor punctuality is bearing fruit. The proportion of pupils arriving late has halved since the start of the academic year.

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Outcomes for pupils are inadequate

 In reading, writing and mathematics, too few pupils across the school make enough progress or reach the standards that are expected for their age. As a result, by the time they leave Year 6, pupils are not well prepared to move on to the next stage of their education.  The most able pupils are not sufficiently challenged. This is because many teachers do not have high enough expectations of what they can achieve. As a result, very few pupils across the school are working at greater depth in reading, writing or mathematics. Nonetheless, evidence from pupils’ writing books shows that this group of pupils make greater progress than other pupils in the school.  Across the school, pupils do not make enough progress in mathematics. This is because the work that is set does not challenge pupils to think more deeply. In too many cases, pupils are asked to undertake activities that are overly repetitive and do not build upon what they already know. Furthermore, in some

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Outcomes for pupils are inadequate

classes, pupils are not given enough time to consolidate their learning before new topics are introduced. In some classes, teachers do provide good opportunities for pupils to apply their skills to problem-solving activities.  In writing, pupils do not make enough progress to reach the standards that they are capable of. This is because they are not given enough opportunities to write at length, with purpose or for an audience. In many classes, pupils do not have a clear enough understanding of what good writing looks like and how they can improve their own work. This year there has been a sharper focus on spelling, punctuation and grammar across the school. Pupils have made some progress in this area but have not had enough opportunities to apply these skills to their writing.  Reading does not have a high profile across the school. Several pupils who read to inspectors were unable to name more than one or two authors because they are not exposed to a wide variety of quality

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Outcomes for pupils are inadequate

texts. Initiatives to improve the quality of the teaching of reading have been implemented inconsistently across the school. As a result, most pupils do not make enough progress or reach the standards expected for their age. Nonetheless, those pupils who read to inspectors did so fluently and were able to use their phonics skills to read unfamiliar words.  As a result of very recent improvements in the leadership and teaching of phonics, pupils in Years 1 and 2 are now beginning to make the progress they are capable of.  Disadvantaged pupils make inconsistent progress across the school in reading, writing and mathematics. Where focused support has been provided by the designated teacher for this group, progress has improved. However, disadvantaged pupils do not make rapid enough progress overall to narrow the gap in achievement to other pupils. In 2015, disadvantaged pupils left the school reaching standards

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Outcomes for pupils are inadequate

approximately three years behind their peers nationally.  Due to strong leadership, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are now making the progress they are capable of. Training for staff has helped to ensure that intervention sessions are effective at supporting pupils to build successfully upon their learning.

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Early years provision requires improvement

 Children’s progress across the early years has been hindered by a number of staffing changes and weak teaching. However, since the return to school of the early years leader, after a period of absence, teaching and learning has improved, particularly in the reception class.  From starting points that are typically below those that are expected for their age, children do not make consistently good progress across Nursery and Reception. Children’s learning in the Nursery has faltered as checks on what children can do have not been used effectively to plan learning that develops skills, knowledge and understanding.  Progress accelerates in the Reception class so that the majority of current children make good progress in this class. Nonetheless, the proportion of children that reach a good level of development is significantly below the national average and consequently pupils are not well prepared for the rigours of the

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Early years provision requires improvement

curriculum in key stage 1.  In the best lessons, teachers and other adults provide good opportunities for children to develop their language skills. In the Reception class, for instance, children enjoyed sharing their experiences from a recent school trip as their teacher created a memory board. However, in many lessons communication skills are not well developed as learning activities are not sufficiently well planned to develop this aspect of the curriculum.  Well-established routines across the early years and the good relationships and role models that exist between teachers and learning support assistants help to promote good behaviour. Children generally listen attentively to their teachers and engage confidently in lessons. They cooperate with each other well and take turns when using equipment, such as the bikes when playing outside. The early years leader is beginning to bring about improvements in the quality of teaching and learning. Recent training is showing

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Early years provision requires improvement

early signs of paying dividends and the progress that children make is improving. Efforts to engage parents in their child’s learning are also developing. A reading café, to help parents support reading at home, was attended by the large majority of parents.

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School details

Unique reference number 139357 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 10011014

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 3−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 219 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Pat Idle Principal Victoria Saville Telephone number 01924 473016 Website www.fieldheadprimaryacademy.co.uk Email address fieldhead@focus-trust.co.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected as an academy

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Information about this school

 Fieldhead Primary Academy became an academy on 1 March 2013. When its predecessor school, Fieldhead Junior Infant and Nursery School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good overall.  Fieldhead is slightly smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium is above that found nationally. (The pupil premium is additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those children that are looked after by the local authority.)  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well below the national average, as is the proportion of pupils reported to speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average.  At the time of the inspection the school website complied with statutory requirements.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in each class of the school.  Discussions were held with senior leaders, members of staff, representatives from the task group and the school improvement partner. A telephone conversation was held with the school’s educational consultant.  Inspectors examined a wide range of documentation, including that relating to safeguarding, behaviour, school improvement planning, assessment information and reports on the quality of teaching.  Inspectors spoke to pupils informally during the school day and observed them during playtime, lunch and before and after school. They also met formally with one group of pupils to talk about their learning and behaviour and safety.  Inspectors listened to a number of pupils read.  A range of pupils’ books were checked.  Inspectors spoke to a number of parents at the start of the day. They also took account of the 38 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire (Parent View). Inspectors also took note of the 11

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Information about this inspection

responses they received to the inspection questionnaire for school staff and the 11 responses they received to the online inspection questionnaire for school pupils.  Two further Ofsted inspectors joined the inspection at the start of the second day.

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Inspection team

Martin Bell, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Julie Griffiths Ofsted Inspector David Woodhouse 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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