Blackgates Primary School

Blackgates Primary School Smithy Lane, Tingley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF3 1QQ

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Too few pupils in key stage 1 and key stage 2 make enough progress or reach standards expected for their age. Pupils are not well prepared for their next stage of education.  The quality of teaching over time is inadequate. While there are examples of stronger teaching in school, too much teaching does not help pupils improve.  Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low, especially for those pupils who are most able.  Pupils are given too few opportunities to improve their skills in writing and mathematics.  Pupil premium funding is not used effectively enough to improve rates of progress for disadvantaged pupils.  Over time, governors have not held leaders to account for the standards pupils achieve.  Although systems to check the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress have recently improved, they are not embedded and are yet to impact on pupils’ achievement.  Recently appointed middle leaders have not

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

had enough time to have a positive impact on teaching and learning outcomes.  Subjects other than English and mathematics are not covered in sufficient depth.  Too many pupils have below-average attendance.  Teachers in the early years do not identify and plan children’s next steps in learning well enough.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 This is an inclusive school where pupils’ emotional and medical needs are given high priority. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive strong support.  Pupils feel safe and secure in the school. The majority of parents agree that they are kept safe.  The newly appointed co-headteachers have a clear and ambitious vision. They have quickly identified what needs to be done and are taking effective steps to get the school on track.

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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?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by: – ensuring that governors challenge leaders about the standards pupils achieve effectively – further developing the leadership skills of subject leaders so they can improve the quality of teaching in their subjects and support senior leaders to raise standards – ensuring that plans to further reduce the differences in outcomes between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally are effective – making sure that the wider curriculum is broad, balanced and meets pupils’ needs.  Rapidly improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in order to improve pupils’ outcomes in key stage 1 and key stage 2 by: – raising teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve in reading, writing and mathematics – ensuring that pupils of different abilities are challenged by their learning, particularly the most able – giving pupils more opportunities to use and apply their skills of enquiry and

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

reasoning to solve increasingly complex problems in mathematics – ensuring that pupils strengthen and apply their writing skills to a range of purposes.  Improve the rates of attendance for all pupils, in particular disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, so that they at least match the national average.  Improve the quality of teaching and learning in the early years by: − supporting and challenging teachers to make better use of assessment information in planning to improve children’s progress − ensuring that adults intervene when appropriate to deepen learning by asking questions and responding to children’s interests. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of the school’s use of pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 School leaders are new to their roles and under no illusion about where the school needs to improve rapidly. Over a short period of time, they have used a lot of time and energy resolving a range of operational and strategic issues. Since their appointments, senior leaders have addressed safeguarding concerns, created a leadership team and made improvements in the early years. Only now are they in a position, and have the capability, to address fully the inconsistencies in teaching and improve the progress pupils make.  The newly appointed co-headteachers are determined leaders. They have quickly gained the confidence of the staff. Teachers appreciate leaders’ guidance and the training they receive to help them improve their practice.  Subject leaders are taking action to bring about improvements. This is beginning to have some impact. For example, the subject leader for English has delivered training

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

for staff and, along with senior leaders, made changes to how reading is taught in the school. As a result, pupils are making better progress in reading at key stage 2. However, subject leaders are new to their roles and as yet have had insufficient opportunities to address the changes that need to be made effectively.  Leaders are making checks on the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress. Over time, this has not led to the much-needed improvements in teaching and pupils’ outcomes. A sharper focus on checking teaching and measuring pupils’ progress is being introduced by leaders. Leaders’ actions are beginning to make a positive difference.  Leaders acknowledge that the plans and funding for disadvantaged pupils have not had a positive impact. The absence rates of disadvantaged pupils remain too high, and their achievement is too low. Leaders have immediate plans to thoroughly evaluate the provision for these pupils so that additional support is targeted more effectively.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Systems for managing staff performance are in place. However, targets for improvement are unclear and lack challenge. As a result, current teacher appraisal procedures do not support rapid improvements in teaching and learning.  Over time, there has not been enough curriculum coverage of subjects other than English and mathematics. Pupils are not developing skills and knowledge well enough in subjects such as science and geography. Leaders have developed plans to address this and inspection evidence suggests that it is being tackled successfully.  Leaders responsible for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities ensure that the additional funding the school receives supports pupils’ social and emotional needs very well. Blackgates Primary is an inclusive school where staff care passionately for all its pupils. However, leaders do not have an accurate view of the progress these pupils are making in their learning.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders pay due regard to the promotion of British values and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are elected to the school council and visits to the local council chambers have deepened pupils’ understanding of the democratic process. Pupils know how to be responsible citizens and encourage others to be also. They have worked with the police to improve parking and safety outside the school, and have encouraged local dog owners to be more responsible in public areas.  Pupils participate in a number of charity events and raise money for different causes. They have some understanding of other faiths and cultures through working on topics such as India. However, because the wider curriculum is not covered in sufficient depth, pupils’ understanding of different faiths and cultures is not developed as well as it could be.  The physical education and sports premium funding is used to buy sports equipment,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

provide sports coaching and subsidise the well-attended before- and after-school clubs.  Support for the new leadership team is mostly provided by an external private consultant. The school is also part of a local primary school partnership, which it works closely with. Leaders find these partnerships beneficial. They have given them the skills and confidence to drive improvement. There has also been some support from the local authority on improving teaching. Teachers have reflected on this support to develop and improve their practice.  There are some minor omissions on the school’s website. Information about governors’ business interests is not included.

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Governance of the school

 Over time, governors have failed to hold the headteacher to account. As a result, the quality of teaching and the progress pupils make have declined. There are early signs that governors are now providing more challenge to school leaders but this is only recent and yet to have an impact.  Governors are conscious that they have not been as effective as they should have been in the past, and have let things slip. Governors are fully aware of the task facing school leaders and understand that difficult decisions will need to be made to ensure that improvement is rapid.  Governors are keen to support the new leadership team with which they have an honest and open relationship. They are committed to seeing the school improve.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The single central record of the suitability of staff to work with children meets requirements. All practices and procedures have been reviewed since the appointment of the current leaders and are now fit for purpose. Leaders have also ensured that staff training is relevant and up to date.  Adults are aware of what to do should they have any concerns about pupils. Leaders record all safeguarding information in detail and contact relevant agencies in a timely manner. Unexplained absences are investigated quickly by the member of staff responsible for attendance. Strong relationships with parents help keep pupils safe and secure.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 The quality of teaching in key stage 1 and key stage 2 is not effective enough and, as a result, pupils are making inadequate progress. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low.  Pupils of different abilities are not sufficiently challenged. This is especially the case for those pupils who are most able.  Teachers do not provide pupils with a structure to their learning or match work to their needs. Too often, pupils complete the same tasks regardless of their different abilities.  Pupils’ workbooks show that they have too few opportunities to apply their arithmetic skills to problem-solving activities. The work pupils complete in mathematics lacks challenge and adds little value to what they already know.  Standards in writing are low because pupils are not taught adequately enough about the skills they need to improve their written work. Too often, pupils’ writing does not

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

engage the reader because it lacks interesting vocabulary. In addition, pupils are not using a growing range of grammar and punctuation skills correctly or to good effect.  The teaching of subjects other than English and mathematics, such as geography and science, is poor. Subjects are not covered in sufficient depth. Pupils are not developing their skills, knowledge and understanding of these subjects successfully.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well in the classroom, especially those pupils who have emotional and medical needs.  The teaching of reading has improved because teachers have benefited from effective professional development. This has resulted in an increase in the proportion of pupils reaching the required standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check, and an improvement in reading outcomes at the end of key stage 2.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  Bullying is rare and pupils report that when it does happen they know whom to tell and that adults deal with it effectively. However, pupils are unclear about the different forms bullying can take.  Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures through the curriculum. However, pupils’ workbooks show that subjects and topics that address the wider curriculum are not covered in sufficient depth. This is limiting pupils’ understanding of faiths and cultures that are different from theirs.  Pupils with complex needs are supported well and given the appropriate support and care. This results in these pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities being able to participate in the full curriculum and learn alongside their peers.  The breakfast club provides a safe and happy place for pupils before school. This

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Personal development and welfare

contributes effectively to a positive start to the day for these pupils.  A range of before- and after-school sports clubs are available for pupils. These are well attended and include gymnastics, rugby, netball and dance.  Information from parents shows that parents feel their children are well cared for. Parents have confidence in the staff to ensure that children are safe and secure.  Pupils say they feel safe in school and know how to keep themselves safe, such as when using a computer.  Older pupils in the school act as ‘befrienders’ for younger pupils. This involves engaging younger pupils in games on the playground and ensuring that they stay safe.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Attendance historically has been well below average for all pupils but especially for disadvantaged pupils and for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Current information shows that pupils’ attendance did not improve in 2016/17.  Pupils behave well at breaktimes and when they move around the school. They are friendly and polite to each other and to adults. However, a small number of pupils reported that there are occasional instances of inappropriate behaviour.  Lunchtime staff have received training on how to engage with pupils. The pastoral team deals with friendship and behavioural problems well. School records show that incidents are dealt with effectively. Most parents have very few concerns about pupils’ behaviour.  Pupils behave well in lessons. The majority of pupils are keen to learn. On a few occasions, pupils lose concentration when teaching fails to hold their interest.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Pupils currently in the school do not make the progress that they should. Standards in English and mathematics at key stage 1 and 2 are too low.  Provisional outcomes for key stage 2 in 2017 show that attainment is well below average and the progress pupils make in writing and mathematics is inadequate. These results demonstrate that, overall, standards have not improved on the low outcomes in 2016, especially for writing and mathematics. Accordingly, pupils are not well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Provisional assessment information for 2017 shows that outcomes at key stage 1 have significantly declined in reading, writing and mathematics. Outcomes are well below average, particularly in writing, and too few pupils have attained a higher standard.  The most able pupils do not make enough progress. In both key stages 1 and 2, expectations of what these pupils can achieve are too low. As a result, too few of the

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

most able pupils, including those most able pupils who are disadvantaged, reach their potential in reading, writing and mathematics.  Much of the pupil premium funding has been spent on additional staff and resources. This is having little impact on improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils which remain well below average. Differences in outcomes between disadvantaged pupils in the school and other pupils nationally are significant and are not decreasing.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well to help them overcome social, emotional and physical barriers to learning. Available information indicates that these pupils are making mainly adequate progress. However, systems for tracking their progress provide insufficient detail to ensure that next steps in learning are accurately planned and taught.  Standards across the curriculum are low. Coverage of subjects other than English and

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

mathematics is patchy. Learning has not been planned carefully enough, by teachers, to ensure that pupils’ skills and knowledge are developed across all statutory subjects.  The proportion of pupils who reached the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2017 shows a noticeable improvement and is now above average.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 Following the school’s last inspection, the skills, knowledge and understanding that children achieved at the end of the Reception class declined significantly. Well-thought- out actions by school leaders, over the last two terms, have addressed this decline with some success. Children are now making better progress, especially boys. However, the proportion of children who are ready for learning in Year 1 remains below the national average.  Additional funding for disadvantaged children is not improving this group’s progress and attainment. Outcomes for disadvantaged children are consistently low when compared with other children.  Systems for checking how well children are learning in the Nursery and Reception classes provide limited information. They do not support adults well enough in knowing the next steps that each child needs to take in their learning.  In both Nursery and Reception classes, adults engage well with children and support

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Early years provision Requires improvement

them in their learning. However, adults occasionally miss opportunities to deepen children’s understanding through more challenging questions, especially for those children who are most able.  The environment is well organised and good use is made of the available space. Most learning areas are well resourced. In the Nursery, children sometimes do not have enough opportunities for mark making, or practise forming letters correctly.  The early years leader is passionate about improving teaching and learning in the provision, and is aware of the changes that need to be made. She recognises that checking on the quality of teaching and how well children are learning needs to be more accurate, and is taking effective action to address this. The online recording of children’s learning, that has been introduced this term, is resulting in more and better quality assessments.  Provision for two-year olds is good. Thought has been given to building positive

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Early years provision Requires improvement

partnerships with parents and, as a result, parents are more actively contributing to children’s learning. Activities are well-thought-out and children are able to access them easily. This is helping them develop important skills such as coordination. Children take pleasure in sharing their achievements with adults.  Children are kept safe and their welfare, health and well-being are given high priority. The site is secure, and effective policies and procedures make sure that children are kept safe from harm.  Children’s attitudes to learning are positive and they behave well. Children are encouraged to work independently and they show good concentration. They know routines well and are able to learn and play without adult support.

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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 The governing body

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School details

Co-Headteachers Sarah Bunnage and Julie Coulson

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School details

Email address s.bunnage@blackgates.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16−17 July 2013

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Information about this school

 The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about the school’s previous inspection and governors’ business interests.  The school is larger than an average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is similar to the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, who are known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium funding, is above average.  The school meets the government’s floor standards for 2016, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The early years includes provision for two-year-old children, a Nursery where some children attend part time and other children access the 30 hours’ Nursery entitlement, and two Reception classes where children attend full time.

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Information about this school

 The school provides a breakfast club each morning for pupils and an after-school club.  Blackgates Primary School is a member of the Morley Primary Partnership.  The school has recently been through significant changes in leadership. The headteacher’s role is shared by two leaders.  Support for leaders is mostly provided by a private consultant. The school has received some additional support from the local authority.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in all classes. Several lessons were observed jointly with the co-headteachers.  Pupils’ work from all classes was scrutinised.  Inspectors listened to pupils read. Pupils selected to read were from all year groups in key stage 1 and key stage 2.  Meetings were held with pupils, the co-headteachers, other staff, members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority and a private consultant.  Inspectors observed pupils moving around the school outside lessons, including on the playgrounds during breaks.  Inspectors scrutinised a number of documents, including the school’s view of its own performance, school improvement plans, and attendance and safeguarding records.  Inspectors took account of the 33 free-text opinions from parents and the 34 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. The inspectors also took account of the eight online questionnaires completed by members of the school staff,

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Information about this inspection

and the 14 online questionnaires completed by pupils.  Inspectors spoke informally with parents at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Alan Chaffey, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Gillian Wiles 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

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

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Inspection team

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

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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