Wycliffe CofE Primary School

Wycliffe CofE Primary School Saltaire Road, Shipley, West Yorkshire BD18 3HZ

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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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 Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leadership over time has been poor, leading to weak safeguarding, monitoring, performance management and training for teachers.  Although keen to make improvements, the school’s senior and middle leaders do not have the skills they need to drive change in a way that improves the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress quickly enough.  The school’s performance has declined since the previous inspection. The capacity to bring about improvement rapidly enough is weak because it is too reliant upon external support.  Leadership in the early years has not been strong enough. Many activities provided for children lack challenge and positive behaviour is not promoted effectively. As a result, children make weak progress in their learning and development.  The acting headteacher, working with the local authority, has worked hard to improve safeguarding. However, this area of the school’s work is still not sufficiently robust.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Some teaching has not been strong enough over time. Consequently, some pupils have not made the progress they are capable of in reading or writing in key stage 2.  Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are not making the rapid progress they need to in order to catch up with other pupils nationally.  Not all teachers use assessment well enough to set work at the right level for pupils, particularly for the most able and those that find learning difficult.  Staff do not use the school’s behaviour policy consistently to encourage pupils’ good behaviour. Boys’ behaviour, particularly at lunchtime and playtime, is not well managed. The school has the following strengths

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Effective teaching is helping pupils in key stage 1 to make good progress.  The teaching of spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues is successfully preparing pupils for life in modern Britain.  Pupils are developing a range of artistic skills, because of good art teaching. Pupils’ artwork enhances displays around the school.  Attendance has improved due to the effective work of the pastoral officer.

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Full report

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Swiftly improve the quality of leadership and management by; – strengthening the skills of senior leaders so that they can accurately evaluate the quality of teaching and learning and take decisive action to bring about improvements – urgently equipping middle leaders with the necessary skills and competencies to drive improvement rapidly – holding teachers to account robustly for the progress that pupils make – strengthening the quality of training and professional development that teachers receive so that teaching meets the needs of the disadvantaged and the most able pupils more effectively – improving leadership of provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities to ensure that they make at least good progress – evaluating the impact of the pupil premium more systematically and ensuring that this funding is spent on meeting the needs of disadvantaged pupils so that they

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

achieve well.  Urgently improve the provision and outcomes in the early years for all children by making sure that: – leaders have the knowledge and skills to identify what improvements can be made to improve the amount of progress that children make – adults do not miss opportunities to question and prompt children to develop their use of language rapidly – activities, both indoors and outdoors, fully develop children’s learning and independence in all of the early learning goals – adults frequently capture learning, leading to the accurate assessment of children’s progress – children, particularly boys, are encouraged to behave well at all times.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in order to improve pupils’ progress, by ensuring: – the reliability and consistency of assessment across and within subjects, so that teachers know the next steps pupils need to take – that teachers’ planning consistently stretches and challenges all pupils, especially

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, the most able and disadvantaged pupils – the teaching of reading and writing is consistently effective across key stage 2 to ensure that all pupils make sufficient progress.  Improve the behaviour and safety of pupils by: – ensuring that a robust culture of safeguarding pervades every aspect of the school’s work, including monitoring where and when incidents of poor behaviour and accidents occur, acting quickly upon the findings – urgently putting into place risk assessments that alert staff to potential dangers in all areas of the school’s work – intervening quickly and promoting positive behaviours at lunchtime and playtime, particularly among boys. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium 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 Inadequate

 Over time, leaders have failed to identify the extent of the school’s weaknesses. Until recently, they have gathered little information about the attainment and progress of pupils. Consequently, leaders have not been sufficiently urgent about driving necessary improvements and securing consistently good teaching.  Leaders have not met statutory duties to manage the performance of all teachers and staff have not been provided with suitable training to enable them to adapt and improve their teaching. One teacher responding to the staff questionnaire wrote, ‘We have all been trying to catch up with things that have just never been in place.’  Senior leadership roles are not well developed. Previous governors have recruited the substantive deputy to be acting headteacher without considering whether she had preparation or experience to equip her for the role. Naturally, she is heavily dependent upon the support of the local authority and consultant headteachers to enable her to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

carry out her temporary role.  Not all middle leaders have had adequate opportunity to undertake a range of monitoring activities and consequently they are not well placed to guide others enough so that they know how to improve their teaching. However, the leader for mathematics has introduced new teaching methods that are helping to secure improvements in some classes in school.  Supported by the local authority, leaders have recently introduced systems to ensure that all pupils make the progress they should. The school’s information now identifies groups of pupils who are not making sufficient progress, specifically disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders have not done enough to ensure that the pupil premium funding is spent to enable disadvantaged pupils to achieve well.  Although the leader for special educational needs and/or disabilities is informed about

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

the specific needs of pupils, she has been recently assigned this duty and has received little training and thus has been unable to carry out this role effectively. As a result, teaching is not fine-tuned to ensure that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make accelerated progress. The impact of funding for these pupils has not been evaluated.  The primary school physical education and sports funding is being used effectively to raise pupils’ involvement in physical education. For example, specialist coaches run well-attended football, netball and rugby clubs. Pupils working with coaches over the lunch break were absorbed in the activity and learning how to cope well in competitive situations.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. This is done through regular religious education lessons and assemblies. Pupils’ books show studies of Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Such work is helping prepare pupils for life

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Governance of the school

 The recently appointed interim executive board (IEB), who are experienced and knowledgeable, have been quick to act. They have brokered support for Wycliffe from local school leaders, to provide guidance to the acting headteacher, to support the leadership of special educational needs and/or disabilities and to help develop provision in the early years. They have also taken steps to strengthen the leadership team through the recruitment of an assistant headteacher. It was not possible to establish the impact of these actions at the point of the inspection simply because these initiatives are at very early stages.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.  The acting headteacher, supported by the office manager, has done much to secure safeguarding records, policies and procedures over the last three months. They have renewed policies so that they now reflect the latest statutory guidance.  However, significant concerns were still present at the time of the inspection. Few risk assessments are in place to manage the dangers present for pupils in moving around the school site day to day. Staff are insufficiently vigilant during lunchtimes to minimise minor accidents. Although records of minor accidents and incidents are now being kept, no analysis has taken place to enable staff to understand why they are occurring and to prevent future accidents.  All staff have recently been trained to spot signs of abuse and know what to do if they suspect pupils are at risk from radical views. Designated safeguarding leaders have

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Safeguarding

been trained to a higher level so they are now better place to carry out their roles effectively.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Overall, teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement because it is extremely variable in quality across the classes and key stages. In the early years for example, weak teaching means that too many children do not get off to a good enough start to learning. This is followed by good teaching in key stage 1, helping pupils to catch up for lost ground. However, teaching throughout key stage 2 varies between classes and is not consistently good.  Most teachers ensure that, typically, lessons are carefully planned and resourced, but in several classes in key stage 2, not enough account is taken of what pupils already know and can do, to ensure that pupils make rapid progress from their starting points.  The teaching of reading is having variable impact on progress within key stage 2. Some teachers do not plan for reading appropriately to ensure that pupils make the best use of time. Some pupils read texts of a high quality at home, but are not similarly

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

challenged in school.  Pupils in key stage 2 are not writing as well as they should because, over time, not enough emphasis has been given to developing their basic skills. Leaders have not clarified what pupils should learn and teachers have been unaware of standards in other classes. For example, expectations of pupils’ handwriting and presentation vary in different classes in key stage 2. Teachers’ expectations of pupils, taking into account pupils’ ages, also are too variable. They are higher in key stage 1 than in key stage 2.  In some classes, teachers’ secure subject knowledge, thoughtful planning and provision of well-chosen activities is leading to good learning, particularly in mathematics. In these classes, teachers skilfully check on pupils’ understanding and offer further explanations and challenges as a result. However, the quality of teaching in mathematics in other classes is variable so that the most able pupils and those who

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

have special educational needs and/or disabilities do not consistently make good progress. Sometimes tasks are too easy, while at other times they are too difficult.  Good teaching in key stage 1 is helping pupils to make secure progress. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour for learning, so that in all classes pupils are productive and work in reading, writing and mathematics is of a good quality.  The teaching of writing is particularly successful in key stage 1. Teachers plan sequences of learning that enable pupils to build up their understanding prior to applying new learning independently. Daily handwriting lessons are helping most pupils to present their work neatly.  The teaching of phonics is effective in Year 1. Pupils are making rapid progress so that above-average proportions are achieving the Year 1 phonics screening check when compared to national figures.  Very effective teaching of art is enabling pupils to develop their skills and knowledge in

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

this subject to a good standard. Pupils’ work adorns the walls, highlighting pupils’ creativity and lifting the environment throughout the school.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils really value being part of a school where pupils hail from several different faiths and cultures. They say that they have benefited from taking part in the ‘One Nation, One Britain’ project, helping them to develop personal values and to understand basic human rights. Pupils enthused about their part in ‘democracy week’, when they researched the policies of different political parties, wrote a manifesto, held a hustings and then voted for the party of their choice.  Pupils explained that they have studied inspirational characters like Nelson Mandela, reflecting on their own characteristics and improving their behaviour for learning as a result. Pupils learn how to make healthy choices through an effective personal, social, health and citizenship programme. They understand how to keep safe when using the internet because of regular reminders threaded through computing lessons.

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Personal development and welfare

 Leaders have ensured that visitors to school effectively enhance pupils’ understanding of how to keep safe. Fire and police officers, road safety and children’s charities are among those who have visited school to talk to pupils.  An active school council play their part in improving the school. Councillors could give examples of how they had improved school for pupils, including setting up a ‘buddy stop’ in the playground and introducing a system at lunchtime that ensures that everyone gets their choice of dinner.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Although behaviour in lessons is appropriate, the poor behaviour of a small number of pupils is sometimes spoiling playtimes and lunchtimes for other pupils.  Newly established routines are helping most pupils to behave well. Pupils enjoy collecting smiley faces towards gaining a bigger reward, for example. In Year 2, pupils work hard to earn 10p tokens that they can use to purchase a reward of their choice. For the most part, school is calm and orderly.  Pupils spoken to said that there was no bullying but this view was not shared by over 20% of parents and pupils who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaires. The school’s records show that incidents have been logged under several different headings, masking the small number of physical assaults by pupils.  The pastoral worker has supported leaders effectively in improving pupils’ attendance and in reducing persistent absence. Pupils’ attendance is broadly in line with national

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Behaviour

figures. The proportion of pupils persistently absent from school is falling and is below national figures.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 In 2016, the attainment and progress of pupils at the end of key stage 2 was broadly in line with national figures in reading, writing and mathematics. The progress of disadvantaged pupils was also similar to all pupils nationally. The percentage of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined matched the national average.  The schools’ assessment information shows the proportion of pupils currently in Year 6 on track to achieve expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics has risen slightly, and more pupils than last year are on track to achieve the expected standard in all three subjects. The most able pupils have achieved well, with more pupils attaining higher levels.  Although key stage 2 pupils have made similar progress to others nationally from key stage 1 in mathematics, they have not made enough progress in reading and writing. Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

have also made insufficient progress.  In 2016, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard at the end of key stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics was above the national average. The proportion of pupils who have reached the expected standard has risen again this year, showing that pupils are making good progress during key stage 1. However, the progress of disadvantaged pupils remains lower than that of other pupils in all subjects.  The proportion of pupils achieving the Year 1 phonics screening check has improved over three consecutive years and provisional results show that in 2017, 84% of pupils have achieved the standard.

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Early years provision Inadequate

 More children than normally seen, around half, enter Reception with skills and abilities above those typical for their age. Children are on the whole, clearly spoken and articulate.  Children make too little progress during their time in Reception. As a result, despite their relatively well-developed skills on entry, the proportion of pupils entering Year 1 ready to learn is below average. The proportion of children who have achieved a good level of development compared to the proportion that do so nationally has slowly declined over a three-year period.  At the time of the inspection, there was no leader for early years. Inspectors found anomalies and inaccuracies in assessment information. Consequently, teachers have insufficient understanding of children’s assessment information. They do not use this information sufficiently well to analyse the strengths and areas for improvement in the setting, nor do they adapt provision in the light of analysis of this information.

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Early years provision Inadequate

 Although teachers have access to a wide range of equipment, they do not use this to good effect. Staff lack in-depth knowledge about how young children learn and do not use the equipment they have to good effect to provide meaningful learning opportunities for children.  Staff are not always clear about the learning intention behind each activity and are missing opportunities to fully develop children’s knowledge and skills. This is particularly the case in providing activities with a focus on improving children’s understanding in reading, writing and number. Staff are not skilled in questioning or in modelling language to enable children to quickly acquire the vocabulary they need.  Although they regularly record information about the progress of children, teachers are not using this information well to plan future learning. Consequently, staff do not adjust individual activities to meet the precise needs of different ability groups.

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Early years provision Inadequate

Disadvantaged children and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are not making sufficient progress. Despite the most able children showing signs of sustaining concentration for long periods, too little is expected of them, so they make too little progress.  Staff are do not have high enough expectations of children’s behaviour and are not consistently using the school’s agreed policy to promote good behaviour. Although children are happy in the setting, the level of challenge to them is low. This is leading to many children, boys in particular, excitedly running around the setting, interrupting the play and learning of others.  Risk assessments are not in place to ensure that all aspects of provision are safe for children. Consequently, statutory welfare requirements are not met.

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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

Appropriate authority Interim executive board

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School details

Email address office@wycliffe.bradford.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27–28 February 2013

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Information about this school

 Wycliffe CofE Primary School is a larger than average-sized primary school.  The headteacher was absent at the time of the inspection and the substantive deputy headteacher was acting as headteacher in her absence.  In February 2017, the local authority issued the school with a warning notice to improve leadership and safeguarding. Subsequently, several governors left the governing body. The local authority recruited an interim executive board (IEB) to govern the school. The IEB took up their duties four weeks prior to this inspection.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average.  Sixty per cent of pupils are from White British backgrounds. Twenty seven per cent of pupils are from an Asian or Asian British Pakistani background. Eighteen per cent of

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Information about this school

pupils speak English as an additional language.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics.  The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about pupil premium or arrangements for governance on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 Together with the acting headteacher, inspectors looked at pupil progress data, information about the performance of teachers, documents relating to behaviour and safety and documents relating to safeguarding.  The inspectors looked at pupils’ work in books and observed pupils’ learning in parts of 17 lessons, some alongside the acting headteacher.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and observed pupils learning in small groups. They spoke with pupils in lessons, in a meeting, at lunchtime and at playtimes. Inspectors also took into account 64 pupils’ views through the online pupil questionnaire.  Meetings were held with the acting headteacher, middle leaders and three members of the IEB. A meeting was also held with a representative of the local authority and a consultant headteacher supporting the school.  Inspectors took into account 59 parents’ views through Parent View (Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents) and 18 responses to the online staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Lesley Butcher, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Darren Marks 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

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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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