Heath View Academy

Heath View Academy Irwin Crescent, Eastmoor, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF1 4QY

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Over time, pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics has been below that found nationally.  Some pupils, including the most able pupils, have not been consistently challenged to stretch their thinking and understanding. The proportion of pupils working at a greater depth in their learning is smaller than that found nationally.  A few pupils have poor attitudes to learning. This results in them often losing concentration and distracting others in lessons.  The school’s curriculum requires further refinement to ensure that it meets the needs of pupils.  The standard of teaching is not consistently high enough to significantly raise pupils’ achievement. The progress of some pupils is not promoted well enough because they are not sufficiently challenged in lessons.  Rates of attendance remain below average and too many pupils are still persistently absent.  Some adults are adept at checking on pupils’

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

progress and ensuring that any misconceptions are spotted quickly. However, this is not yet consistent. As a result, too many pupils are unsure about what they need to do to improve their work.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Senior leaders understand the challenges facing the school and have introduced a number of improvement strategies.  Pupils are happy and say that they feel safe. Pupils’ behaviour around school is good. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is supported very well.  Good leadership of teaching in the early years supports children to achieve well. They experience a broad range of activities to encourage their enjoyment of learning.  Teaching assistants make a very positive contribution to pupils’ learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by:  continuing to rigorously address inconsistencies in teaching  checking that planned actions for school improvement are sharply focused on the progress pupils make in learning  ensuring that pupils’ attendance improves quickly and that the proportion who are persistently absent falls, including for disadvantaged pupils.  Improve the quality and consistency of teaching by:  developing greater challenge and pace in learning for all pupils, including for the most able and the most able disadvantaged pupils  ensuring that the schools marking policy is fully adhered to  raising teachers’ expectations of pupils’ attitudes to learning and engagement in lessons to make sure that pupils do not lose concentration and distract others.  Improve outcomes for pupils by ensuring that:  pupils’ progress is accelerated so that a larger proportion reach standards expected

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

for their age  a greater proportion of pupils work at a greater depth in all subjects  the difference between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally diminishes, particularly in key stage 2  the curriculum meets the needs of all pupils.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Over time, the headteacher and senior leaders have been successful in bringing about some improvement in the quality of teaching, but until recently the pace of change has been slow. Inconsistencies in the quality of teaching remain in school, leading to pupils’ attainment and progress being below those found nationally.  The school has experienced considerable changes in staffing over the past two years. This turbulence has hampered school improvement. Supported by the Wakefield City Academy Trust, the current leadership team has taken some effective action to bring about improvement. For example, they have appointed a second deputy headteacher and made changes to the school’s staffing structure. These actions are beginning to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in the school. However, inconsistencies still exist.  Leaders have systems in place to check on pupils’ learning and track their progress.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

Historically, this information has not led to consistently good rates of progress. Staff confidence and competence in using progress information to plan lessons to meet the varying needs of learners is still too variable. Consequently, these systems are not having sufficient impact on raising standards.  Leaders and managers rigorously promote the value and importance of good attendance. Absence and poor punctuality are followed up diligently. Even so, overall rates of absence remain high and too many pupils are persistently absent. Improvements are slowly being seen as the work of the recently appointed deputy headteacher takes effect.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. Their needs are identified early and their progress, which is mainly good, is tracked accurately. Additional funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is used effectively.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders’ plans for further improvements are based on a clear view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and are detailed in the school development plan. Planned actions are not always outlined clearly and in detail, and lack a planned system of rigorous monitoring and evaluation.  Leaders make good use of the primary physical education (PE) and sport funding to extend the skills of pupils. Leaders also use these funds effectively to increase pupils’ participation in a wide range of sports and competitions. For example, funds are used to provide stimulating after-school sports clubs, which encourage healthy lifestyles and raise awareness of the importance of exercise.  Leaders now consider how best to spend the school’s pupil premium funding and they evaluate its impact on the progress and achievement of disadvantaged pupils. Over time, the support and resources secured have not had the maximum impact on

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

diminishing the differences in progress and attainment between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally with the same starting points, across subjects.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is woven well into the curriculum. Pupils learn about other faiths through their religious education lessons and can talk about the key similarities and differences between religions. Pupils are able to explain a democratic process such as their school council elections and gain an understanding of their contribution to society through fundraising and social events.  The school’s curriculum is broad and balanced. However, leaders have not ensured that skills and knowledge in foundation subjects are planned well across the curriculum. Pupils make some links to develop their skills across the curriculum, such as interrogating data as part of a science topic or using angles when creating instructional drawings in art,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

but there are missed opportunities to highlight further links. Leaders recognise this and are reviewing the curriculum so that it better meets the needs and interests of all pupils.

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Governance of the school

 The governing body, with effective support from leaders and board members of the multi-academy trust, has widened its expertise and established more robust systems for monitoring the work of the school. These are beginning to have a positive impact.  Governors and members of the multi-academy trust now have a clearer picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They are now holding school leaders to account for the actions they are taking to improve provision and pupils’ outcomes, including making sure that the additional funding is now being well spent

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders have created a culture of safeguarding where staff are clear about their responsibilities and take pride in knowing every child and every family well. This enables them to work effectively with children and families to overcome barriers to learning, for example where a child is experiencing difficulties at home.  Staff, have accessed appropriate training. Adults are vigilant when looking for the signs that pupils may be at risk and know how and to whom they should report concerns. Leaders are quick to request the support of external agencies when this is necessary.  Policies, procedures and records are of good quality and are up to date. Staff have access to well-written policies and guidance, and as a result they have a secure understanding of their individual responsibilities for safeguarding pupils.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching over time has been weak. It has resulted in pupils not reaching the standards of which they are capable or fulfilling their true potential. There are still variations in the quality of teaching across school, with examples of strong teaching, but some teaching is still not up to scratch.  Teaching requires improvement because in some lessons expectations of pupils’ attitudes to learning and behaviour are not high enough. On some occasions, a minority of pupils lose concentration and distract other pupils’ learning.  Variations exist in the way teachers recognise and address pupils’ misconceptions in lessons. As a result, some pupils know what to do to improve but other pupils do not.  Teachers’ use of questioning to check pupils’ understanding or to move pupils on to more challenging activities varies between year groups. In some classes, pupils are given too much time to complete simple tasks. This delays their progress, especially

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

that of most-able pupils, who are often given the same work to do as other pupils.  Over time, teaching has lacked sufficient challenge, especially for most-able and most- able disadvantaged pupils, preventing them from developing their ability to work at a greater depth in their skills and knowledge in all subjects. While this is an improving picture, work remains to do to ensure that teaching is matched to pupils’ abilities.  As a result of the recent rigorous and systematic teaching of phonics, current pupils are now getting off to a fast start in their reading skills. Teachers and teaching assistants are skilled at delivering well-structured reading and writing lessons. Pupils who read to an inspector used their phonics skills well to read unfamiliar words.  In mathematics, basic skills of number and calculation are taught well and consolidated regularly. Teachers make good use of practical resources to allow pupils to grasp

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

patterns and relationships in number. Teachers are becoming skilled at developing pupils’ reasoning skills, such as in Year 6 where pupils were challenged to devise a rule to help solve money problems.  Teaching assistants are becoming increasingly skilled and adept at questioning pupils, taking initiatives in lessons. They are having an increasingly positive impact on pupils’ learning and they now form part of an improving teaching team.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are well cared for in their ‘happy and friendly school’. All adults know the pupils well and have a detailed knowledge of individuals and their families. Relationships between all adults and pupils are strong.  The school teaches pupils well about how to stay safe and look after themselves. For example, they take part in activities that reinforce online safety. Pupils know about the importance of not giving out their personal details to anyone online. Pupils report that they feel safe at all times.  On occasion, pupils do not demonstrate good attitudes to learning. When work does not challenge or interest them, some pupils disengage and daydream, particularly in key stage 2. This directly affects the progress they make.  Pupils are happy in the well-ordered, positive school environment. Displays are bright and attractive, supporting learning well. The school’s work to ensure that pupils’

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Personal development and welfare

physical and emotional well-being are valued and promoted is very effective.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  In some lessons, a minority of pupils quickly lose concentration and engagement in learning, produce too little work and can chatter and distract others. This low-level disruption is not always swiftly addressed by teaching staff.  On the whole, strong relationships are nurtured in school, and most pupils conduct themselves well in lessons and around school. Pupils are polite, friendly and have good manners. Playtimes are generally harmonious occasions where pupils play happily together and no one is left out.  Rates of attendance are below those found nationally. The school has worked hard to improve attendance, exemplified by the recent appointment of a deputy headteacher who is responsible for improving attendance. A range of rewards for good attendance are used, and absence followed up immediately and rigorously with parents. Rates of attendance are slightly improved on the same time period last year, and the proportion

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Behaviour

of pupils persistently absent has reduced. However, further improvement is needed, especially for disadvantaged pupils.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Over time, pupils’ achievements in reading, writing and mathematics have been below those found nationally in published statutory data. As a result of historically weaker teaching, there is a legacy of inconsistent achievement in all key stages.  Although a majority of pupils in Year 1 met the expected standard in the 2016 national phonics screening check, it was below that found nationally. The school’s own data and evidence from the inspection indicate that it will rise this year.  Pupils’ accelerating rates of progress are enabling those that have fallen behind to catch up quickly. The proportion of pupils reaching expected standards for their age in English and mathematics in most year groups has risen over the academic year.  The progress of current most-able and most-able disadvantaged pupils largely matches that of their classmates and has accelerated since the start of the year. A larger

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

proportion of pupils than previously are on track to achieve a high score in statutory assessments.  Currently, an increasing proportion of pupils across school are working at greater depth in their learning than previously was the case. Weaker teaching that lacked challenge or pace in learning restricted pupils from deepening their skills and knowledge in English and mathematics.  The school is now quick to identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind. Staff make effective provision for these pupils through activities that are well matched to their individual needs and abilities, skilfully delivered by teaching assistants. This includes pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, the progress made by these pupils from their individual starting points is good.

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Early years provision Good

 The skilled and effective leader of the early years understands the learning needs of young children. She has successfully created an effective team of adults who share the same passion and drive to see children thrive. She has a clear understanding of the strengths in early years and has accurately identified key areas for improvement.  Children are eager to learn and explore. They enjoy opportunities provided to investigate and learn happily together. Their behaviour is consistently good. Progress in personal, social and emotional development is good and this accounts for the strengths seen in children’s behaviour and in their relationships with adults. They are encouraged to take turns and to consider others.  Adults observe children carefully and build upon their interests. They carefully support children’s learning through prompts, skilful questioning and through working alongside them during imaginative and creative play sessions. Adults model language very well,

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Early years provision Good

one Nursery child exclaiming that he had ‘found a good answer’ to the problem of mixing powder paint to create different colours.  Basic skills in reading, writing and number are promoted very effectively. For example, a group of Reception children proudly showed an inspector their correctly punctuated story writing. Other pupils counted, carefully, the number of coloured pencils they were using.  Although not all children are making consistently high rates of progress across the early years and the proportion reaching a good level of development is just below that found nationally, it is increasing year-on-year. While an above-average proportion are ready for the demands of learning in Year 1, few exceed this expectation, especially those who are most able.  Every opportunity is taken to enhance children’s learning. Adults are skilled at questioning and prompting during children’s exploration and creative play to develop

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Early years provision Good

their thinking and understanding. A good range of child-initiated and teacher-led activities are available for children.  Leaders are vigilant in all aspects of safety and safeguarding children’s welfare. Judging by the confidence and fun with which they play and learn, children here clearly feel very safe, secure and happy. All safeguarding requirements are met.

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School details

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

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School details

Email address admin@heathview.wakefield.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.  Heath View Academy is a larger than average-sized primary school.  Heath View Academy converted to be an academy in August 2014 as part of the Wakefield City Academy Trust. When its predecessor school, Heath View Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted in March 2014, it was judged as requiring improvement.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  Children in the early years (Reception class) attend full time, while children attending the Nursery class attend part time.  The proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium is well above the national average.

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Information about this school

 The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and who speak English as an additional language is well above average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is in line with the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in all classes across the school, some of which were jointly observed with the headteacher.  Discussions took place with senior and middle leaders and representatives from the trust, including the regional director and the chief executive.  Inspectors scrutinised a number of documents, including reports from the trust, school improvement plans and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour and spoke to groups of pupils to seek their views about the school. The views of other pupils were gathered during lessons, playtimes and lunchtimes.  An inspector listened to pupils of different ages and abilities read and led a discussion to ascertain pupils’ views about reading.  An inspector conducted a walk around the school to look at curriculum displays and the promotion of British values.  Inspectors spoke to groups of parents and took into consideration the four responses

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Information about this inspection

from parents to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. The 18 responses from staff to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire were also considered. There were no responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for pupils.

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Inspection team

Geoffrey Seagrove, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Beverly Clubley 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

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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 .

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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.gov.uk/ofsted

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