Pentland Infant and Nursery School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Katharine Coates-Mohammed Headteacher Pentland Infant and Nursery School Pentland Road Savile Town Dewsbury West Yorkshire WF12 9JR

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Short inspection of Pentland Infant and Nursery School

Following my visit to the school on 27 September 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in June 2013.

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Short inspection of Pentland Infant and Nursery School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection.

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Short inspection of Pentland Infant and Nursery School

The previous inspection asked you to make sure that pupils from different groups make faster progress during their time at the school. It also noted that teachers needed to check on pupils’ learning and progress more effectively during lessons. Finally, you were asked to strengthen how well leaders and managers checked on pupils’ learning in lessons.

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Short inspection of Pentland Infant and Nursery School

During the visit, I could see how you have sharpened your use of assessment information with support from your school improvement partner. This has enabled teachers to pinpoint where pupils might be falling behind and help them catch up. As a result, disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are making faster progress than before. In particular, funding to support disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs is making a positive difference. You agree, however, that work is still needed to ensure that the most able boys make as much progress as the most able girls.

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Short inspection of Pentland Infant and Nursery School

Our joint visits to classrooms showed that teachers now check carefully on what pupils are learning and correct them if they make mistakes. The discussions I had with you and your senior team following our joint observations showed me that you now focus firmly on what pupils are learning rather than what teachers are doing. This has sharpened your understanding of what needs improving in the school. As a result, your school development plans are clear and governors have an impressive understanding of your priorities and how your work to address them will be measured.

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Short inspection of Pentland Infant and Nursery School

I spoke to many parents on the day, who all spoke in glowing terms about the school. ‘It’s more than a school, it’s a community’, sums up the thoughts of many. Parents told me how much they appreciated school trips to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park so they could mix with other parents and take part in arts projects with their children. Others spoke of the support they have received from the Muslim women’s group at the school. The pupils I spoke to talked about ‘really caring’ staff and how they felt safe and secure as they learned and played in school.

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Short inspection of Pentland Infant and Nursery School

The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and that records are detailed and of high quality.

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Short inspection of Pentland Infant and Nursery School

The records I saw showed me that staff report any concerns promptly and that there is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Records show that these concerns are then followed up immediately by a senior member of staff. You showed me how you have strengthened procedures through the introduction of a computerised system which speeds up the transfer of information between staff. Any referrals that are made to the ‘Prevent’ duty team, as part of the school’s safeguarding procedures, are thorough and resolved quickly.

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Short inspection of Pentland Infant and Nursery School

Staff training is comprehensive and frequent. In addition, well-attended parent information sessions are held to raise parents’ awareness of such things as child sexual exploitation and how parents can raise concerns appropriately if they need to do so.

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Short inspection of Pentland Infant and Nursery School

Collaborative working with outside agencies is also a strength. Working in partnership with other schools, you have access to a directory of child protection and safeguarding professionals whom you can call upon to seek advice.

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Short inspection of Pentland Infant and Nursery School

The pupils I spoke to had a good understanding of how to stay safe. They understood about road safety and talked to me about how to stay safe when using the internet.

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Inspection findings

 I was interested to see whether the most able children in early years were challenged well. The proportion of children who exceeded the expected standards was above average in 2017. I could see in children’s work and teachers’ assessments that work for children is challenging and underpins the strong progress currently being made by the most able. There is a strong emphasis on developing children’s language and literacy, since many arrive in Nursery with underdeveloped language skills, particularly those who are new to learning English. Assessment information and the evidence in their books show that children in early years make good progress in their speaking, reading and writing.  I looked into your teaching of phonics, given that there has been a slight decline in the proportions of pupils meeting the required standard over the past three years. The teaching of phonics has improved and in 2017, the proportion of

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Inspection findings

pupils who met the required standard was average. Most of the teaching I saw has pace and challenge. When listening to pupils reading, I could see pupils using the techniques they had been taught to read unfamiliar words. You agree that there is scope for the most able pupils to make faster progress however.  I was curious to find out why the number of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities rises rapidly as pupils progress from Reception to Year 1 and to Year 2. I found that you have well-developed assessment and screening methods to identify different types of special educational needs and disabilities. Good-quality support is given to children in early years and children who are new to learning English. Parents of pupils who have special educational needs are very well supported and informed of their child’s progress. However, further work is needed to ensure that the special educational needs information report on the

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Inspection findings

school’s website meets statutory requirements.  Teachers’ assessments in 2017 showed that fewer boys than girls reached greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 1. Over time, assessments show that girls generally outperform boys. For pupils currently in the school, we saw through our scrutiny of work and observations of pupils at work that some higher ability boys are capable of more and would benefit from more challenge.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 the most able pupils, particularly boys, are challenged to achieve their very best  the school’s special educational needs information report published on its website meets statutory requirements.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Kirklees. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I met with you and your senior team, five members (including the chair) of the governing body and a representative from the local authority. I spoke to six pupils from Year 2 over lunchtime and listened to two Year 2 pupils reading. While in classrooms I observed teaching, spoke to pupils and looked through the work in their books.

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Information about the inspection

I considered a range of documentation, including the 21 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire, Parent View, the school development plan, the summary of self- evaluation and safeguarding documents.

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