Oak CofE Primary School

Oak CofE Primary School Dryclough Road, Crosland Moor, Huddersfield HD4 5HX

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Since the school opened in 2016, pupils’ outcomes have been low. Current pupils are making stronger progress but this is inconsistent across year groups and subjects.  Leaders have secured vital improvements to the quality of teaching. However, this is not consistently good in all year groups. Some teaching is characterised by low expectations of pupils’ achievement and behaviour.  The quality of teaching in the early years is also variable, particularly when children are initiating their own learning.  Leaders have not ensured that all staff are aware of the priorities for improvement, such as pupils’ language development.  Leadership roles and responsibilities are evolving. Senior and middle leaders do not take full responsibility for improving teaching and pupils’ outcomes in the areas they lead.  Leaders do not evaluate effectively the impact their actions have on outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).  Leaders have plans in place to review the curriculum. Pupils do not consistently acquire increasingly complex knowledge and skills as they move through the school.  Pupils’ cultural development is not promoted as well as it should be. As a result, pupils sometimes use derogatory language and are not fully prepared for life in modern Britain.  Pupils’ attendance rates are below average and are not improving quickly.  Although most pupils behave well, boisterous behaviour at playtimes and low-level disruption in lessons are sometimes evident.  Parents’ and carers’ opinions of the school are mixed. Some parents feel that leaders do not listen to their views.  In a range of subjects, including phonics, teaching staff do not always have the subject knowledge they need. Consequently, too often, pupils’ work does not meet their needs.  Some adults are not accurate in modelling

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

standard English verbally.  Pupils’ work sometimes reflects a lack of pride. The school has the following strengths

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Governors have a range of expertise. They use this well to hold leaders to account for the school’s effectiveness.  Pupils, including vulnerable pupils, are well cared for by staff. Pupils’ social and emotional development is promoted well.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment so that it is consistently good or better, and improve pupils’ outcomes by ensuring that: – teaching staff have strong subject knowledge in all subjects they teach – teachers have high expectations of pupils’ achievements and behaviour, and plan work which challenges pupils, including the most able pupils – strategies to support pupils’ language development are embedded and effective – teachers use accurate assessment information in all subjects to plan and adapt teaching to meet pupils’ needs, including for child-initiated learning in the early years – teaching staff address pupils’ English grammar, punctuation and spelling errors effectively – all pupils have opportunities to develop their reading comprehension skills and their reasoning and problem-solving skills in mathematics – the teaching of phonics is effective, including for lower-attaining pupils, and the

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

books and resources pupils use to practise their early reading skills are matched tightly to detailed assessments of pupils’ phonics knowledge – all members of staff use grammatically accurate standard English when speaking – pupils take pride in their work – low-level disruption is eliminated.  Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that: – senior and middle leaders receive further professional development to enable them to take responsibility for improvements in teaching and pupils’ outcomes – staff are aware of the priorities for improvement – all staff adhere to the school’s policies and adopt improvement strategies promptly – all disadvantaged pupils benefit from provision which is matched precisely to their barriers to learning – leaders check thoroughly on the difference their actions make to pupils’ outcomes, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND – the curriculum equips pupils with increasingly complex knowledge and skills, which

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

are assessed accurately as they move through the school – the curriculum is well designed to promote pupils’ cultural and personal development effectively so that they are well prepared for life in modern Britain – systems to gather parents’ views and to respond to their concerns are effective.  Improve pupils’ attendance and behaviour by: – reducing absence for all groups of pupils to bring attendance in line with average – reducing instances of poor behaviour and exclusion further – eliminating derogatory language – ensuring that adults actively promote pupils’ positive behaviour at playtimes and lunchtimes.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders have faced considerable challenges since the school opened. Staffing turbulence, the challenging behaviour of a small number of pupils and the standardisation of systems across the three predecessor schools have slowed the pace of improvement.  Leaders have made effective use of external support, including that provided by a national leader of education and his school. This has secured some crucial improvements to the quality of teaching, particularly in the early years and key stage 1. However, this remains variable in all key stages.  Leaders have ensured that appropriate support and challenge is in place for members of staff who are underperforming. This has led to some early improvements in the quality of teaching. Leaders have also refined systems for identifying pupils who are falling behind. They now use these systems to hold members of staff to account effectively for the progress that pupils make.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 A considerable number of middle leaders are new to their role. They are passionate about improving the education for pupils and are knowledgeable about their subjects. However, in a range of areas, senior and middle leaders’ improvement plans are at a very early stage of implementation. Therefore, leaders are not able to measure the difference their actions make to pupils’ outcomes.  Leaders’ plans for improvement include a wide spread of priorities. Leaders and staff acknowledge that leaders have frequently introduced new initiatives when earlier ones are still being embedded. As a result, not all staff are clear about the main priorities for improvement, such as the focus on improving pupils’ language development. Similarly, in some year groups, staff do not adopt strategies to improve teaching consistently. This slows the pace of improvement.  Leaders have ensured that pupils access learning in all national curriculum subjects. In

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

some year groups, pupils learn about pertinent issues, such as slavery. However, leaders have not designed the curriculum to build pupils’ knowledge and skills coherently as they move through the year groups. Additionally, they have not introduced assessment procedures for all subjects. Therefore, it is not possible for teachers to match activities to pupils’ needs consistently.  Leaders place heavy emphasis on pupils having a broad range of practical experiences to enhance their learning. To this end, pupils attend workshops and educational visits. Pupils’ opportunities for learning in music and performing are particularly well developed. However, leaders have not adapted their approach to all subjects in this way. For example, history, geography and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education do not equip pupils with sufficient knowledge of different cultures or of concepts, such as respect and tolerance. Hence, pupils are not as well prepared for

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

life in modern Britain as they should be.  Leaders have recognised the need to strengthen the strategic leadership for disadvantaged pupils. As such, they have recently commissioned an external review of this area. They have introduced a new system to track their spending of funding and the difference it makes. However, leaders have not identified disadvantaged pupils’ barriers to learning precisely enough. This means that they cannot match support and provision tightly to pupils’ needs.  Leaders have worked hard to ensure that pupils with SEND are identified accurately. This has resulted in a significant increase in the number of pupils with education, health and care plans. Leaders have started to check that individual pupils are making short-term progress. However, they do not check systematically on the quality of teaching that pupils with SEND receive. Hence, they cannot be assured that pupils are

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

making maximum progress, over time, from their starting points.  Parents hold mixed views on the school. A small but significant number of parents expressed concerns regarding the progress that their children are making. Some parents felt that changes to staffing had disrupted their child’s learning. Parents with concerns also felt that their views were often not heard by leaders.  Leaders have used the primary physical education (PE) and sports funding effectively. Specialists have provided training for teachers to improve the quality of teaching. Leaders are keen for all pupils to participate in sport. As such, coaches are employed to lead extra-curricular activities for pupils, including a football club for pupils with SEND.

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Governance of the school

 Governance is a strength of the school. Governors have a range of suitable expertise. They receive detailed information from leaders about pupils’ outcomes, behaviour and attendance. They use this information to challenge leaders well and to shape the strategic direction of the school.  Governors use external advisors’ reports, such as those written by a national leader of education, to validate leaders’ evaluations of the school’s effectiveness. As a result, governors are fully aware of the school’s current position and the priorities for improvement.  Governors are aware of their responsibilities, including in relation to safeguarding. They are ambitious in relation to pupils’ achievement. They are passionate about providing the best educational offer possible for pupils, their families and the community.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders and staff understand their responsibilities in keeping children safe. They also have a comprehensive understanding of the local area and the issues which may pose a risk to pupils.  Staff with designated responsibility for safeguarding have a secure knowledge of pupils and families whose circumstances make them vulnerable. They take swift action where necessary, including making referrals to outside agencies. Their records in respect of child protection are well maintained.  Pupils are knowledgeable about how to stay safe, including online. During the inspection, leaders strengthened procedures to minimise any risks to older pupils at playtimes and lunchtimes.  Leaders have ensured that appropriate measures are in place to check that staff are suitable to work with children. Records in relation to this are well organised.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is variable across year groups and subjects. In some year groups, teachers’ expectations of pupils’ achievements and behaviour are not high enough. As a result, too often, activities represent a lack of challenge. Where this is the case, pupils’ attention drifts, they do not take sufficient care with their work and, sometimes, low-level disruption occurs.  Teaching staff do not always have the subject knowledge they need. For example, in some year groups, teachers are not consistently effective in asking reading comprehension questions which require pupils to think deeply about the text they have read. Similarly, in some year groups, teaching staff accept underdeveloped responses from pupils and do not expect them to justify their answers using evidence. Therefore, pupils’ progress is slowed.  Inconsistencies in the subject knowledge of staff also mean that the teaching of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

phonics is not always effective. Adults’ demonstration of sounds is not always accurate and leads to pupils’ misconceptions. Teachers’ assessments of pupils’ phonics knowledge do not provide them with sufficiently detailed information. As a result, the books and resources pupils use to practise their early reading are not well matched to pupils’ needs. This hampers pupils’ progress, particularly in the case of lower-attaining pupils.  Teachers are beginning to support pupils’ language development more effectively. For example, pupils often have sentence frames and vocabulary lists to support their verbal and written answers in a range of subjects. However, these strategies are at an early stage of implementation and are not always used effectively by teachers to extend pupils’ learning.  Recent improvements to the quality of teaching in writing mean that teachers are becoming more adept in sequencing teaching to support pupils in building their skills.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

In addition, pupils now have more frequent opportunities to practise their skills in extended pieces of writing. However, pupils’ errors in English grammar, punctuation and spelling are not consistently addressed. Consequently, pupils repeat their basic errors and their progress is hindered.  In mathematics, the quality of teachers’ questioning is often effective in deepening pupils’ learning. However, some pupils have infrequent opportunities to reason and problem-solve. Hence, their acquisition of these skills is not maximised.  The quality of teaching in subjects outside of English and mathematics is also variable. In some year groups, the teaching of subjects, such as history, centres on English rather than on developing pupils’ historical knowledge and enquiry skills. Additionally, leaders have not introduced assessment procedures for all subjects. Therefore, teachers are not able to match activities to pupils’ starting points consistently.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

Consequently, pupils’ work often represents a lack of challenge, particularly for the most able pupils.  Some teaching assistants provide vital support for pupils with SEND which enables pupils to access learning alongside their peers. However, some teaching assistants, when speaking to pupils, do not model standard English accurately. This reinforces pupils’ misconceptions in relation to grammatical structures and vocabulary.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement. Although pupils understand the importance of respect and tolerance, they do not acquire the knowledge they need to fulfil these values in a meaningful way. Shortcomings in the curriculum design have left pupils with gaps in their knowledge and understanding. For example, PSHE education has not been adapted well to teach pupils about issues pertinent to their age and community. Similarly, leaders have not ensured that history and geography topics are used to develop pupils’ cultural understanding as well as they should.  Where teachers’ expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour are not high enough, pupils’ work reflects a lack of pride. This means that pupils do not always produce their best work.  Pupils are well cared for by the staff and a nurturing ethos exists within the school. Leaders place heavy emphasis on pupils’ social, emotional and moral development. As

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Personal development and welfare

such, they provide tailored sessions to promote these aspects for pupils as needed. As a result, on the whole, pupils cooperate well together and show kindness to each other. Pupils who shared their views with inspectors said that they feel happy in the school.  Through working with partner agencies, leaders provide a free breakfast club which is well attended by a considerable number of pupils. This ensures that pupils make a positive start to their day.  Pupils appreciate the opportunities they have to take on a range of leadership roles, such as being a personal assistant for their teacher. They also benefit from attending a variety of extra-curricular clubs, such as origami, fencing, choir and gymnastics.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. When activities are not matched to pupils’ needs or when adults have low expectations of pupils’ behaviour, pupils become distracted and sometimes engage in low-level disruption in lessons.  The oldest pupils who shared their views during the inspection were clear that pupils often behave boisterously at playtimes and lunchtimes. This was observed during the inspection, where the adults supervising did not have suitably high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. This same age group of pupils also told inspectors that derogatory language is sometimes used by older pupils and is typically not reported to staff.  Pupils move around the school well: the atmosphere in the school is calm and orderly. In lessons, pupils work well together and are friendly and caring. Staff build strong relationships with pupils. Hence, pupils show respect for adults, including visitors. They

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Behaviour

are keen to hold doors open for others and they follow instructions promptly.  Leaders have worked hard to develop tailored provision for pupils who exhibit challenging behaviour. They have also introduced initiatives, such as the reflection room, which are effective in supporting pupils to manage their own behaviour so that they are able to go to lessons ready to learn. These strategies have contributed to the reduction in fixed-term exclusions in the school. However, exclusions remain above average.  Although leaders have been successful in securing modest improvements to pupils’ attendance, this remains below average. Too many pupils are regularly absent from, or late to, school. Leaders have put strategies in place to promote good attendance and to tackle low attendance. However, these are not comprehensive and leaders do not take action early enough when pupils’ attendance starts to fall.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Since the school opened, pupils’ outcomes at the end of each key stage have been low. Although current pupils are making stronger progress, this remains variable. In year groups and subjects where the teaching is effective, pupils make good progress. However, where teaching is not consistently good, pupils’ progress is limited. This inconsistency in the quality of teaching means that pupils’ strong progress is not maintained across each key stage.  Pupils have gaps in their learning, which are the legacy of historical weaknesses in teaching. In some year groups, teaching is not fully effective in recognising and filling these gaps. The effect of this previously weak teaching has been heightened for boys particularly. Consequently, the proportion of pupils, particularly boys, reaching and exceeding the standards expected for their age in each year group is low.  Like other pupils in the school, disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND make

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

variable progress, depending on the quality of teaching they receive. Disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes lag a long way behind those of other pupils nationally.  Although 2018 published outcomes show some improvement in comparison to 2017, they remain low. At the end of key stage 2 in 2018, pupils’ rates of progress in reading, writing and mathematics were among the lowest 10% of schools nationally. Hence, their attainment was also significantly below average. Pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 1 was equally low in all three subjects.  The variability in the quality of teaching in phonics means that the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check is below average. Pupils, particularly lower-attaining pupils, do not develop their early reading skills as well as they should. As a result, a considerable proportion move to Year 2 and beyond without the phonics knowledge they need.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching in the early years is variable. Although some adults are effective in moving children’s learning on, some are not equipped with the skills they need to do this. For example, not all adults have the questioning and modelling skills needed to consolidate and extend children’s learning.  Leaders are accurate in identifying the priorities for improvement and have been successful in strengthening the quality of teaching. However, ongoing changes to staffing have slowed the pace of improvement. Despite professional development for staff, including the support of a partner school, the quality of teaching is not consistently good.  Children enter the early years with skills and knowledge below those typical for their age. As teaching is not always effective and children’s attendance is often low, children’s progress is not maximised. Consequently, the proportion of children reaching

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Early years provision Requires improvement

a good level of development is below average. Approximately a third of the children move to Year 1 lacking the knowledge and skills they need.  The activities children choose to initiate their own learning are often too easy, particularly for the most able children. Hence, some children struggle to maintain their concentration on a chosen activity. Additionally, in the Nursery, these tasks often lack purpose. Where this is the case, activities are not effective in stimulating children’s talk or interest. As a result, children’s progress and independence are hampered.  In Reception Year, children’s learning is often linked to a theme. During the inspection, children were excited about growing seeds and building homes for giants, which were tasks associated with their learning about Jack and the Beanstalk. The enthusiasm children showed resulted in them developing their speaking and listening skills well.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 Adults have established routines which the children follow well. They also have high expectations of children’s behaviour. Consequently, children are sensible and cooperate well with others. Adults are skilled in fostering children’s social and emotional development, for example by encouraging them to consider the feelings of their friends.  Leaders have ensured that opportunities are in place for parents to be involved in their child’s learning. For example, daily informal conversations, family learning mornings and half-termly opportunities to share children’s achievements are all used by parents.  Adults have created a nurturing atmosphere within the early years. As a result, children are confident in their learning and are kind to each other. Children are well cared for and all welfare requirements are met.

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School details

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

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address head.oakprimary@kirkleeseducation.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Oak Church of England Primary School is more than three times larger than an average-sized primary school. It opened in May 2016, when three schools were amalgamated.  The school is designated as having a Church of England character and is a part of the Diocese of Leeds. The school has not had a section 48 inspection.  The school has a nursery for children from the age of two. It also runs a breakfast club for pupils.  The school has received support from a national leader of education and his school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above average.  Approximately half of the pupils are of Asian or Asian British Pakistani heritage. Approximately 20% of the pupils are of White British heritage. A wide range of ethnic groups are represented in the school.  Approximately two thirds of the pupils speak English as an additional language. Over 40 different languages are spoken in the school.

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Information about this school

 The proportion of pupils with SEND, including those with an education, health and care plan, is above average.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in a range of subjects in classes across all year groups. Some of these observations were carried out jointly with leaders.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ work and listened to them read. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at playtimes and lunchtimes. They gathered pupils’ views about the school through formal and informal discussions. They also considered the 15 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.  Inspectors met with senior and middle leaders, a group of governors, a national leader of education and representatives of the diocese and the local authority. They met with a group of staff and took account of the 52 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, minutes of governing body meetings, safeguarding documents and monitoring records of the quality of teaching and learning. Inspectors also

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Information about this inspection

evaluated information relating to pupils’ outcomes, behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors gathered the opinions of parents at the start of the school day. They also took account of the views of 33 parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, the 20 free-text responses and two emailed responses.

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Inspection team

Karine Hendley, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Joan Williamson 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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