Normanton Altofts Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Normanton Altofts Junior School Ash Tree Gardens, Altofts, Normanton, West Yorkshire WF6 2NF

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Outcome

Normanton Altofts Junior School continues to be a good school. However, inspectors have some concerns that standards may be declining, as set out below.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff want the very best for their pupils. They know that the quality of education is not good enough at Normanton Altofts Junior School. New leaders are working together with teachers and are beginning to address the school’s weaknesses. They know that there is more work to do.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and safe at school. They have positive relationships with their teachers. Pupils behave well and know what staff expect of them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents and carers are happy with the school. Some have concerns about the number of changes in the school’s leadership. However, parents recognise that there have been recent improvements, such as the morning routine with the school bell and the new reading book system.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are confident that staff will address any concerns or worries they have. They understand what bullying is and very few pupils raise any concerns about it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a broad curriculum. Pupils enjoy a range of subjects. There are lots of educational visits, including residential visits and trips that enhance what pupils have been learning in lessons. However, curriculum planning is not organised as well as it should be, particularly in English. This means that pupils are not able to build on their knowledge in some subjects. As a result, outcomes have declined steadily since the previous inspection.

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better?

There have been a number of changes in leadership since the last inspection. Leaders and governors are ambitious for pupils at the school. They know how good 4–5 February 2020

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the school can be and are working hard to make sure that the quality of education improves quickly.

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Leaders know that reading needs to improve. They are giving reading a high priority. They have identified that teachers need training in phonics and reading, so that those pupils who need additional help at the early stages of learning to read are supported more effectively.

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Pupils enjoy listening to their teachers read to them. This is helping pupils to develop a love of reading. Pupils talk about the books and authors they like to read and would like to have more of these types of books in school.

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Leaders have begun to plan a more coherent reading curriculum. This includes phonics programmes and interventions for those pupils who need help to catch up. This is not fully in place. Some year groups have a plan of which books and texts pupils will read in lessons for some of the year. However, other year groups do not. Leaders have not ensured that pupils’ reading books are well matched to the letters and sounds they already know. As a result, some pupils are not confident and fluent readers.

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Subject leaders have had support to plan the knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn. In science, for example, the subject leader has thought carefully about the order in which their topics are taught. New planning documents help teachers to understand what pupils need to know and remember. Senior leaders are supporting subject leaders to make sure that all subjects have the same detailed plans.

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Relationships between staff and pupils and between pupils themselves are positive. Pupils across the school behave well, including at playtimes. They try hard in lessons and work well together and help each other. Pupils are rarely distracted in lessons. When necessary, teachers remind pupils of the need to behave and learning continues. Incidents of bullying are rare. School leaders keep detailed records of any incidents of bullying or perceived bullying. Pupils have a good understanding of what bullying is and feel that adults in the school will listen to them.

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Leaders have looked at how pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported. Teachers now plan for pupils to learn alongside their peers in class. This means that pupils with SEND follow the same curriculum as everyone else, with planned support.

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The school’s curriculum supports pupils to become responsible citizens. There are opportunities for pupils to learn about important people. For example, pupils learned about David Attenborough. Pupils have also decided to sponsor animals instead of buying Christmas presents. Pupils take part in ‘what’s in the news activities’. They also help to raise money for charities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 4–5 February 2020

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Leaders have developed a strong safeguarding team. Leaders train staff regularly in safeguarding. This is followed up in training with quizzes to make sure that staff know how to identify the signs that indicate pupils may be at risk. There are clear systems for reporting these concerns. Staff know to whom they should report.

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The safeguarding team follow up and record any concerns over pupils’ safety. They work with other professionals to support pupils’ welfare. Leaders carry out thorough checks on the suitability of staff working at the school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There have been many changes in the leadership of the school recently. This means that improvements to the school have been slow to materialise. Governors should ensure stability of leadership to ensure the school is as good as they know it should be.  The school’s reading programme lacks rigour, and reading has not been a priority until recently. Staff have not had adequate training in the teaching of reading and phonics. This means that pupils’ progress in reading is weak and it affects pupils’ reading fluency. Leaders need to prioritise the completion of the reading and phonics programme and its implementation across the school.  Not all subject leaders have planned out the content and structure of the curriculum. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders need to be clear about what they want pupils to learn and the order in which it will be taught.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good or we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2016. 4–5 February 2020

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How can I feed back my views?

to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 4–5 February 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121833 Type of school Junior

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8–9 June 2016

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Information about this school

 The current, interim headteacher started in January 2020. This followed a term of the school being led by an executive headteacher, after the previous headteacher retired in the summer term.  This school is larger than the average-sized junior school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are supported through the pupil premium is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is below average.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the headteacher, senior leaders, the SEND coordinator and leaders for English, mathematics and science. I also held meetings with the local governing body, a representative from the local authority, the school’s inclusion team and the designated safeguarding leader.  I looked in detail at reading, mathematics and science. I met with senior leaders and subject leaders to discuss curriculum planning and look at books. I visited lessons with the subject leaders. I talked to some of the pupils and teachers from these lessons. 4–5 February 2020

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 I checked safeguarding documents, including policies and procedures. I talked to staff across the school about how they keep pupils safe.  I observed pupils in classrooms and around the school.  I met staff to discuss the training they receive and the support they receive from leaders.  I took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 66 free-text comments. I considered 23 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for staff.

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Inspection team

Eleanore Pickard, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 4–5 February 2020

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regulates and inspects to 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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