Royds Hall Community School

Royds Hall Community School Luck Lane, Paddock, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD3 4HA

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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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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

 The considerable challenge of merging a primary school, on a separate site, as well as building a new primary school, have affected the overall performance of the school.  At key stage 1, weaknesses in teaching, including the teaching of phonics, have led to inadequate outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics. Too few pupils met the required standard in phonics in Years 1 and 2.  The legacy of underachievement at the predecessor school has not been eradicated. As a result, attainment is low at the end of key stage 2.  Governors do not have a sharp enough understanding of the primary phase.  In early years, the quality of teaching, learning, assessment and resources is inconsistent across the two settings.  Leaders’ plans and actions to improve secondary teaching have not been precise enough to bring about consistently good teaching and pupil progress.  The inconsistent quality of subject leadership,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

teaching, learning and assessment affected learning outcomes, especially in science.  Some secondary pupils lack the required literacy skills to succeed academically. The school is beginning to tackle this.  On occasion, secondary boys are not engaged well enough in learning, which leads to some low-level disruption. Challenging behaviour of a few pupils leads to higher than average exclusions.  In 2015, progress at GCSE was in line with the national average. In 2016, progress was below average due to a decline in the progress made by disadvantaged pupils and boys. The school has the following strengths

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Senior primary leaders have improved behaviour and the classroom environment.  A stronger team of primary middle leaders and a well-focused action plan have started to improve learning.  Teaching at key stage 2 has improved and current pupils are learning effectively.  Secondary leaders of English and mathematics use assessment and data analysis carefully to focus teaching on identified weaknesses. This has improved pupils’ learning.  Pupils’ personal development and welfare, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are good.

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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?

 Ensure that the increased capacity of leadership in the primary phase results in higher attainment and stronger progress at key stages 1 and 2, in reading, writing and mathematics.  Improve pupils’ knowledge and skill in phonics by rapidly improving: – the teaching of phonics – leaders’ monitoring and evaluation of phonics teaching.  Improve the quality of teaching in the primary phase, especially at key stage 1, by: – improving the clarity, consistency and implementation of whole-school strategies for the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics – tackling weaker teaching more effectively through better coaching and support for relatively inexperienced staff – raising expectations of the amount and quality of pupils’ written work – providing more examples and better practical guidance and support to enable pupils to succeed in their learning – improving the consistency and quality of the support by teaching assistants.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of early years provision by: – ensuring that the quality of teaching rapidly becomes good in both settings – ensuring that adults provide consistently good role models for language and communication – improving the range and quality of learning resources, including for outdoor learning, at Beech Primary – strengthening links with parents and other early years providers.  Sharpen governors’ critical oversight of developments in the primary phase by increasing the primary professional expertise on the governing body.  Ensure that leaders meet the needs of disadvantaged pupils, White British pupils, boys and those who receive support for special educational needs and/or disabilities more effectively by: – analysing obstacles to learning more precisely – sharpening the planning of actions to improve the progress of underachieving groups – evaluating the impact of strategies more rigorously

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– taking action earlier to prevent underachievement.  Improve the quality and consistency of secondary teaching and learning by ensuring that: – teachers identify and meet pupils’ individual needs more accurately and precisely – the quality of questioning extends and deepens pupils’ learning more consistently – teachers provide feedback on pupils’ misconceptions and errors more consistently – pupils develop stronger academic skills to succeed in reading and writing tasks in subjects across the curriculum – teachers support more effectively those pupils with weaker basic literacy skills, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make good progress in lessons – the most able pupils receive sufficient challenge to achieve the higher grades in the new GCSE.  Ensure that the new subject leadership in secondary science, better teaching and assessment, and effective curriculum planning result in a higher proportion attaining at

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

least two GCSEs in science at grades A*–C.  Improve the quality of behaviour and reduce the frequency of fixed-term exclusions, especially of disadvantaged, White boys, including those who have special educational needs. External reviews of the governance of the primary phase and of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how these aspects of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 The local authority’s decision to add the merger of an underperforming primary school in challenging circumstances, on top of the development of a new primary school, was too ambitious. Resources were not in place quickly enough to meet the scale and complexity of the challenges. Leaders have not overcome the legacy of underperformance at key stage 1 at the merged primary school.  The performance of the previously good secondary school has declined since leaders took on responsibility for two primary schools.  There were not enough senior and middle primary leaders in place early enough to support and develop the high proportion of relatively inexperienced teachers appointed to the primary phase as it expanded. As a result, at key stage 1, some teaching is weak and outcomes are inadequate.  In the last year, leaders of the primary phase have implemented effectively improvements in behaviour, the curriculum and the environment for learning. Stronger

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

teaching at key stage 2, including by relatively new teachers, has led to improved learning. These developments have laid the foundations for further improvements in teaching, learning and pupils’ outcomes.  Primary leaders have significantly improved pupils’ behaviour at Beech. Pupils who have challenging behaviour are having their needs met more effectively. This is enabling all pupils to work and learn more productively.  Recent changes to the primary curriculum and reorganisation of the classroom environment are helping pupils on both sites to work with more order, purpose, enjoyment and independence.  Senior primary leaders are currently providing necessary direction and support to strengthen the quality and consistency of teaching and learning. New middle leaders for teaching and learning, and for early years, are demonstrating effective leadership through their decisive plans for improvement.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Primary leaders are working well with a national leader for education and a specialist leader for education from an academy trust, who are both providing valuable expertise and guidance. School leaders have worked closely with these external partners to jointly produce a realistic plan to raise achievement quickly. This has accurate priorities, specific actions, measurable targets and clear milestones against which to judge the impact of actions.  In the secondary phase, leaders have an accurate understanding of strengths and weaknesses in performance. However, plans for improvement lack sharpness, key milestones are not clearly identified and responsibility for who will monitor and evaluate plans is not specified. A national leader of education is working with secondary leaders to sharpen the planning and evaluation of strategies to tackle underachievement.  The professional development of secondary teachers has not met individual staff needs

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

effectively enough to overcome the inconsistencies in teaching. A new senior leader has identified accurate priorities and clear strategies for improving the consistency of teaching and learning. Bespoke professional development plans to improve teaching and learning are in place, but it is too early to judge their impact.  Subject leaders have introduced rigorous methods for analysing the progress of pupils and identifying gaps in their knowledge and understanding. Effective action has been taken, especially in English and mathematics, to focus teaching at key stage 4 on these identified needs. This has improved current learning in lessons but has not been in place long enough to impact on GCSE outcomes.  Secondary leaders have developed the curriculum with the clear moral purpose of providing courses and qualifications that meet pupils’ needs and interests. Options offer pupils a wide choice of subjects. The decision to change the structure of the curriculum

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

for option subjects from one-year courses for mixed-age groups to three-year courses for single-aged groups is a realistic response to the demands of the new national examination requirements. However, the change was not implemented until this academic year, which may contribute to below-average progress and attainment in some option subjects at GCSE.  A high proportion of pupils have been entered for three single science GCSEs and fewer pupils than average have been entered for core and additional science. Leaders are reviewing the entry policy for science courses to increase the proportion of pupils that gain at least two GCSEs in science at grades A*–C. The new leader of science has strengthened the management of the department and is improving the quality and consistency of teaching and assessment.  Senior leaders have taken effective action to tackle weaknesses in subject leadership and teaching. This led to new appointments that have strengthened leadership and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

teaching, including in science and modern languages.  Leaders are taking accurate account of pupils’ progress when evaluating the quality of teaching and learning. A number of staff have not been awarded pay rises when pupils have not made enough progress. However, inconsistencies in the quality of teaching remain and the progress of different groups is uneven.  Leaders have not planned and evaluated the impact of pupil premium funding rigorously enough. The most recent pupil premium plan is more precise, and obstacles to pupils’ progress are identified more clearly. However, it is too early to evaluate impact.  Year 7 catch-up funding has had some impact on enabling pupils who enter school with low levels of attainment in English and mathematics to improve their basic skills.  The school’s review of physical education and sport premium funding does not evaluate the impact on pupils’ physical education in key stage 1, where most of the money was

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

spent.  The funding for special educational needs is used effectively to provide dedicated additional support by well-trained staff who meet the range of needs of the large number of pupils with education, health and care plans. Sometimes, pupils needing extra support for their special educational needs and/or disabilities do not have enough help with the reading and writing demands of lessons.  A well-led and extensive programme of lessons, assemblies and extra-curricular activities, often enriched by contributions from outside the school, promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development well. This is a distinctive strength of the school and has created a positive school culture of mutual respect and understanding. Pupils gain valuable understanding about a wide range of contemporary social and ethical issues and of British values and democracy.  The great majority of parents would recommend the school to other parents. In their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

written comments, parents praised the quality of support for pupils’ personal development and for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Some expressed concern about their child’s GCSE results in science.

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Governance of the school

 The membership of the governing body has a wide range of expertise that contributes well to governors’ scrutiny of the school’s performance. However, it does not have enough professional primary expertise. As a result, it does not have a critical enough eye on progress and attainment and the quality of teaching in the primary phase.  Governors are passionate and well informed about the secondary school. They probe and question the work and impact of senior leaders in improving the progress of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged. They recognise that school leaders have not demonstrated value for money of the pupil premium funding.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Safeguarding and child protection are rightly given a high priority and ensure that the large number of vulnerable pupils stay safe. Staff are aware of pupils’ needs and monitor vulnerable pupils rigorously across the primary and secondary phases. Staff work well with external agencies and take prompt action when necessary, including making home visits. Staff training is up to date and effective. Staff are alert to any concerns about extremism and know the routes for referral. E-safety is tackled well and parents appreciate the efforts to teach pupils about the risks of inappropriate content on the internet and social media. Risk assessments are conducted effectively and lead to appropriate action. The system of mixed-age tutor groups promotes pupils’ sense of safety and older pupils take good responsibility for younger pupils.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teaching is inadequate at key stage 1. Teaching requires improvement in early years and at key stages 2, 3 and 4. Overall, teaching requires improvement.  The teaching of phonics has been ineffective and, as a result, the proportion of pupils reaching the required standard in Years 1 and 2 is well below average. Some phonics teaching lacks focus, structure and pace. Consequently, in some phonics lessons, pupils make little progress in acquiring new knowledge about letters and sounds.  Some teaching by relatively inexperienced staff at key stage 1 does not present learners with a clear purpose or task. Teaching does not provide pupils with examples of what to do and pupils lack effective support and guidance. As a result, pupils do not make enough progress in some lessons at key stage 1.  The teaching of reading, writing and mathematics is not effective enough at key stage 1.  Some learning at the beginning of the day gets off to a slow start because teaching

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

does not inject a positive sense of urgency.  In some primary lessons, teaching assistants are not deployed effectively to lead pupils’ learning.  Current teaching and learning are more effective at key stage 2. For example, in writing, teachers are using imaginative devices which are engaging pupils and enabling them to express their ideas in speech and writing. Skilful questioning enables pupils to develop their ideas and language when composing a paragraph of writing.  In some mathematics teaching at key stage 2, teachers’ purposeful questioning promotes pupils’ reasoning well and enables pupils to explain their mathematical method.  At key stage 2, the improved climate for learning and better classroom organisation are enabling pupils to work calmly and productively.  In secondary science, inconsistent teaching and assessment, including by temporary staff, left gaps in pupils’ written work and their knowledge of science topics. This led to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

a decline in GCSE science results. The science department is now fully staffed and has a new leader implementing relevant actions to improve the consistency of teaching and assessment.  In some secondary lessons, pupils’ underdeveloped academic skills limit their ability to make progress to higher levels. Leaders have recently introduced an initiative to promote the use of talking, and to break down reading and writing tasks into smaller steps to help pupils formulate their ideas and explanations. However, it is too early to judge the impact.  In some classes where learning is not as strong, some boys are off task and not fully engaged in their learning. On occasion, low-level disruption from boys hampers the learning of others. Boys engage and concentrate well in mathematics lessons.  In some secondary lessons, teachers do not make sufficient plans to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. In these lessons, pupils lack

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

reading materials at the right level to help them progress in their learning. In some teaching, the most able pupils are not stretched sufficiently.  Secondary teachers are not always sharp enough in picking up and tackling pupils’ misconceptions. As a result, pupils are sometimes not clear about where mistakes have been made.  Teachers do not pick up inaccuracies in spelling and punctuation frequently enough.  Some teachers probe pupils’ understanding skilfully and challenge them to think more deeply. In other classes, questioning is not always used sufficiently well.  Pupils build their confidence and problem-solving skills well in mathematics.  In secondary mathematics and English, teachers use prior assessment information well to plan the next steps in pupils’ learning. They identify and explore pupils’ misconceptions skilfully. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, respond well to teachers’ feedback and consequently close gaps in their learning. In English, pupils feel

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

confident to learn from their mistakes. However, pupils’ response to feedback is inconsistent across subjects.  Well-structured, practical lessons in technology and physical education purposefully extend pupils’ skills and engage them well in the learning.  In most classes, teachers’ good relationships with pupils promote their learning.  Additional adults are used well in the secondary phase to support pupils who have an education, health and care plan for their special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those attached to the specialist resource provision.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils’ good spiritual, social and cultural development enables them to develop a strong understanding of social and cultural diversity. Pupils take an active role in promoting respectful and tolerant attitudes towards diversity and difference.  Pupils are encouraged to take on a wide range of responsibilities. Many secondary pupils develop their leadership skills as librarians, peer mentors and diversity ambassadors.  The school has won an award for its work in supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and for tackling homophobic bullying.  Pupils say that discriminatory or homophobic language is not heard in school and that respectful, tolerant attitudes towards diversity and difference are evident.  In lessons, good opportunities for discussion of sensitive issues encourage pupils to explore issues and express their own views and ideas.

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Personal development and welfare

 Teachers promote discussion of racism and other forms of discrimination and as a result, pupils are tolerant of difference and feel comfortable to be themselves within the school community.  Leaders listen to and use what pupils say well and enable pupils to play an active role in the life of the school.  The mixed-age tutor groups in the secondary phase promote cohesive relationships across year groups and older pupils look after younger ones well.  Effective advice and guidance about future educational and career choices contribute well to the high proportion of Year 11 pupils that remain in education, training or employment.  The significant number of pupils who have high levels of need, including those with social, emotional and mental health needs, receive dedicated support from well-trained staff.  Pupils attending alternative provision receive strong personalised support.  Pupils who have social, emotional and mental health needs in the primary nurture unit

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Personal development and welfare

are supported effectively by well-trained staff. Consequently, they are making secure progress in their personal development and increasing their capacity for classroom learning.  Pastoral transition arrangements to the secondary school from feeder primary schools are well planned. Pupils and parents value the support and Year 7 pupils have settled quickly.  New arrivals from abroad are inducted well by a dedicated team of staff.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Fixed-term exclusions are high in the secondary phase. A few boys, particularly disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, have not developed appropriate attitudes and skills for learning. This affects their behaviour and leads to repeated sanctions.  Instances of low-level disruption, especially by boys, are linked to weaker teaching. Pupils behaved well in the lessons where they were engaged in well-planned, purposeful and practical activities.  The new behaviour and rewards policy has been welcomed by pupils. The school is orderly and adults control behaviour well most of the time. However, behaviour in corridors and around the secondary school can be boisterous.  Pupils feel safe and have good access to helpful adults. The high number of pupils who are vulnerable or who have high levels of need feel safe. Pupils have learned about a

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Behaviour

wide range of safety issues.  Bullying occurs and staff deal with it well.  Leaders have significantly reduced the incidence of poor behaviour by primary pupils at the Beech site. Classrooms are calm, and pupils are cooperative and concentrate on their learning. However, a few continue to exhibit challenging behaviour. The primary nurture unit helps to assess and meet the needs of pupils who have challenging behaviour and they are developing the skills and attitudes to return to the classroom full time.  Attendance in the secondary phase is above the national average for secondary schools. In 2016, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and an education, health and care plan attended as well as all pupils nationally. Attendance was below average for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and who are receiving support.  Pupils who go to a placement at an alternative provider have reasonable attendance

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Behaviour

and the school liaises closely with their parents.  Attendance in the primary phase is in line with the national average for primary schools.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Outcomes in the primary phase are inadequate at key stage 1. Attainment is low at the end of key stage 2. The school has not overcome the legacy of underachievement at key stage 1 at the predecessor school.  In 2016, attainment at the end of key stage 1 was low in reading and mathematics, and exceptionally low in writing. Some pupils had spent Year 1 at the predecessor school. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, made weak progress in writing from their starting points at the end of early years. The progress that key stage 1 pupils made in reading and mathematics was below average.  In 2017, provisional figures show that attainment at key stage 1 was similarly low in writing and there was no increase in the proportion reaching the expected level in mathematics. There was a small increase in reading.  School information indicates that key stage 1 pupils did not make enough progress in writing and mathematics from their starting points at the end of early years. Pupils

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

made better progress in reading. However, the most- and least able did not make enough progress in reading. The weak progress of pupils at key stage 1 is due to weaknesses in teaching.  The proportion of Year 1 pupils meeting the required standard in phonics was low in 2016 and there was little improvement in 2017. The proportion of pupils who met the requirements when retaking the check in Year 2 was well below average. This is due to the weak teaching of phonics.  At key stage 2, in 2016, pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, made poor progress in reading, writing and mathematics from their starting points at key stage 1. However, the pupils spent most of key stage 2 at the predecessor school, which had a legacy of weak teaching and underachievement at key stage 1.  In 2017, provisional figures for the key stage 2 tests show that attainment was low in

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

reading, writing and mathematics, partly affected by the high proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Stronger teaching at key stage 2 is improving current pupils’ learning and progress.  Outcomes in the secondary phase require improvement.  In 2015, before the national changes in GCSE examinations, pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and boys, made progress that was in line with the national average, including in English and mathematics. In 2016, the progress made by pupils declined to below average overall, including in English and mathematics.  The progress made by disadvantaged pupils declined in 2016. Leaders’ use of the pupil premium funding was not effective in preventing this decline.  School information indicates that current Year 11 pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, White British pupils and boys, have made better progress from their starting

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

points than the previous Year 11 pupils.  In 2016, girls and pupils with minority ethnic heritage made progress that was in line with national averages. However, the progress of boys and White British pupils was below average. Pupils who are disadvantaged, White British pupils and boys do not have strong enough verbal, reading and writing skills to achieve at the higher levels in examinations.  GCSE results in science declined due to weaknesses in leadership, teaching and assessment. Parents rightly expressed concern about science teaching and the GCSE results. Senior leaders have overcome the weaknesses in leadership, and the quality of teaching has improved and the department is fully staffed.  In 2016, the progress by the most able pupils at GCSE was in line with national averages overall in English, mathematics and science. However, progress by these pupils was below average in humanities and modern foreign languages.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Pupils with education, health and care plans are well supported by staff trained in meeting their wide range of special needs. Some make good progress; others make variable progress, sometimes due to medical needs. Many improve their personal, social and communication skills and some improve their literacy skills.  Pupils in the specialist resource provision are supported well, gain relevant qualifications and progress appropriately to further education.  Secondary pupils who need additional support for special educational needs and/or disabilities sometimes find it hard to access the learning when teachers do not pitch the work to their level of literacy and understanding.  Three quarters of pupils on the Year 7 catch-up programme improved their basic skills in English and mathematics to some degree. Staff do not analyse the Year 6 test results of low-attaining pupils and miss this opportunity to quickly identify and tackle

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

gaps in pupils’ knowledge and basic skills.  Children enter Reception with skills which are below what is typically expected for their age. The proportion of children reaching a good level of development in early years was well below average in 2016, but increased in 2017. In 2016, boys’ development was well below average. Disadvantaged children and others reached similarly below- average levels of development.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 The early years action plan does not take full account of the variations in provision and the different needs of children on each site. The keen and energetic new leader has accurately identified, and already implemented, some key priorities and actions.  Teaching is inconsistent across the two sites. At Beech, adults do not provide good enough role models of vocabulary and grammar when interacting with children. Activities for children are less engaging and challenging at Beech than at Luck Lane. At Luck Lane, teaching is stronger, including the teaching of phonics. Children at Luck Lane benefit from adults’ stronger emphasis on communication and language than at Beech. At Luck Lane, staff provide more challenge for the most able. The special educational needs of children are met more effectively at Luck Lane than at Beech.  Leaders are developing an active and child-centred approach to the curriculum.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

However, the resources to promote children’s learning and development are unequal across the two sites in both range and quality, especially in the limited outdoor provision at Beech.  Some children are not well enough prepared for primary school due to weaknesses in their reading, writing and numeracy skills.  Assessment is developing and the new leader recognises that there is more to do to ensure accurate baseline assessment on entry and to streamline assessment practice. Plans are in place to work more closely with feeder providers and to check assessments on entry with them.  Children new to Reception at Luck Lane have settled quickly and are playing with a wide range of resources and with good concentration, well supported by adults’ interaction and guidance.  Children mostly listen well and try hard. They are beginning to take turns and cooperate with each other. At Beech, they enjoyed making and decorating a

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Early years provision Requires improvement

gingerbread man linked to the story they had read.  Partnerships with providers and parents are at an early stage of development. At Beech, staff are working purposefully to engage those parents who are harder to reach.  Safeguarding is effective and staff care for children well.

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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

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,194

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14–15 September 2011

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, the secondary school has become an all-through school. The school has one site for secondary pupils and two sites for primary pupils.  The Luck Lane site took its first group of Reception children in September 2014. A new primary school building opened on the Luck Lane site in September 2016. Currently, Luck Lane Primary has pupils from Reception to Year 3. It will continue to grow until it becomes a 420-place primary school in 2020.  In March 2015, Beech Early Years Infant and Junior School was closed by the local authority and merged with Royds Hall Community School. For admissions purposes, the Beech and Luck Lane primary sites are treated as separate schools. Beech Primary has pupils from Nursery to Year 6.  The headteacher of Beech Primary left in December 2015. The head of the primary phase was appointed in January 2016. Deputy headteachers for each primary site

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Information about this school

started in September 2016, though one continued teaching Year 6. The school also has a head of the secondary phase.  The primary and secondary phases are formally supported by national leaders of education, with funding provided by the local authority.  The number on roll has increased significantly since 2016 with the addition of primary pupils. The number on roll in the primary phase is above the average for primary schools. The number on roll in the secondary phase is below the average for secondary schools. Overall, it is larger than the average-sized secondary school.  The proportion of secondary pupils supported by the pupil premium is above the average for secondary schools. The proportion of primary pupils supported by the pupil premium is well above the average for primary schools.  The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, and of those who speak English as an additional language, are well above average. Pupils on the Beech site are

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Information about this school

mainly of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils who receive support for special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average in primary and below average in secondary.  The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs and/or disabilities has increased in the last two years and is high. Currently, 65 pupils have an education, health and care plan, almost all of whom are of secondary age. The majority of these pupils have speech, language and communication needs. The primary phase has a part-time nurture provision for a small number of pupils.  The school hosts the Kirklees Specialist Provision Hub for Speech, Language and Communication Needs for students aged 11 to 16. Currently, 17 pupils are supported by this provision. They are on the school roll, are integrated into the school and follow a normal timetable.  This school year, the school started to use Kirklees College as an alternative provider

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Information about this school

for a small number of key stage 4 students.  The school provides breakfast clubs for pupils on all three sites.  Overall, the stability of the pupil population is average. However, there is more pupil mobility at the Beech site.  In 2016, the school did not meet the government’s floor standards for primary schools. It met the floor standards for secondary schools. These standards are the government’s minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in lessons on all sites. Inspectors carried out some observations jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ work, listened to pupils read and talked to them about their learning and their experiences at school.  Discussions were held with the executive headteacher, senior and middle leaders, teachers, support staff, members of the governing body, two representatives of the local authority and groups of pupils. Inspectors spoke to the secondary national leader of education in person and a primary national leader and specialist leader of education via the internet.  Inspectors checked the school website and evaluated a wide range of school documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, information about pupils’ progress, and behaviour, attendance and safeguarding records.  The inspection took account of 160 responses from parents to Ofsted’s online

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Information about this inspection

questionnaire, Parent View, and 56 written responses online and one letter. Inspectors also took account of 52 responses from staff and 13 responses from pupils to the Ofsted online questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Bernard Campbell, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Michele Costello Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Carl Sugden 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

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