Netherleigh and Rossefield School

Inspection of Netherleigh and Rossefield School Parsons Road, Heaton, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD9 4AY

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Inspection dates: 14 to 16 September 2021

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Inadequate Early years provision Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have not ensured suitable arrangements to safeguard pupils. Leaders do not have a thorough understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. Necessary checks on the suitability of adults to work with pupils are not consistently carried out. The building is not well maintained. This does not ensure a safe environment for pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s curriculum lacks ambition. The curriculum is not well designed to build pupils’ understanding in each subject. Teachers do not have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils are not supported well to learn to read. Pupils do not achieve well across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils enjoy school. Pupils behave well. There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere around the school. There are positive relationships between staff and pupils. When bullying does happen, most pupils feel that teachers deal with this well. Pupils say they feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning about different faiths and cultures. They demonstrate respectful and tolerant attitudes.

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better?

Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including children in the early years. Leaders are not clear about the important knowledge that pupils should learn and remember in each subject. The school’s curriculum in the early years does not provide children with the necessary foundations for Year 1. Leaders do not check that the curriculum meets the needs of pupils and enables them to achieve well.

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better?

Staff have not had training to develop their subject knowledge and to help them to deliver the curriculum effectively. Teachers do not check well whether pupils understand what they have been taught before moving on to new work. Pupils find it difficult to remember what they have been taught. Teachers do not make suitable choices about what they teach to ensure that pupils learn the important knowledge set out in the curriculum. This is the case, for example, in mathematics. Consequently, pupils cannot apply mathematics knowledge well enough for their age.

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better?

Leaders have not given enough priority to the teaching of early reading. Staff are not trained well to deliver the school’s phonics programme. Teachers do not have high expectations of what pupils should achieve. The school’s phonics programme is not taught at a suitable pace to ensure that pupils quickly become fluent readers. Leaders have not adapted the reading curriculum well for pupils who speak English as an additional language. 14 to 16 September 2021 Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. Pupils understand what is expected of them and the consequences if they misbehave. Children in the early years are kind to each other and have positive relationships with adults. Leaders take appropriate action when pupils do not attend well or arrive late.

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better?

Extra-curricular opportunities have been reduced by the pandemic. Despite this, pupils enjoy participating in enrichment activities when they are available. For instance, pupils enjoy the football club. Pupils understand the difference between right and wrong. They enjoy learning about different religions. They are confident to express their views and opinions. Pupils learn about healthy and unhealthy relationships. Pupils do not have a good understanding of the importance of some fundamental British values. For example, pupils do not understand what it means to live in a democratic society. Leaders have not consulted parents on the school’s new relationship and sex education policy.

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better?

The school buildings are not well maintained. Some areas of the school are not clean. The heating is not working in one of the buildings. Some windows do not open or are very difficult to open. There are cracks in many of the window panes and some broken windows around the school, including in the early years building. Holes in carpets are a trip hazard to both staff and pupils. This is not a safe and pleasant environment for pupils or staff to work in.

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better?

Staff’s morale has been low for some time. Leaders are taking some action to address this. Leaders do not ensure that staff, including senior leaders, receive the training they need to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively. The proprietors do not have the knowledge and skills required to ensure that the independent school standards are met consistently and continually. They have not ensured that the school meets its legal duties. The proprietors are not aware of many of the school’s weaknesses. They have not taken swift action to address the issues with the school premises. There is a lack of leadership capacity to make the urgent improvements needed.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

There are a number of leadership failures in relation to safeguarding. The headteacher and one of the proprietors do not have up-to-date safeguarding training and are unaware of some of their statutory duties. The school’s procedures for the recruitment of staff are not robust. Leaders have not undertaken the necessary pre-employment checks. For example, suitable references are not consistently requested. This means that leaders cannot be certain that adults are safe to work with pupils.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have not ensured that the school’s fire risk assessment is kept up to date and actioned. A fire door was consistently found wedged open and there is a key lock on one of the fire doors. These issues put pupils at risk. 14 to 16 September 2021 Leaders did not know of their duty to contact the local authority when a pupil leaves or joins the school in-year. The destinations of pupils are not consistently recorded on the school’s admissions register.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have not ensured that the school’s safeguarding policy is updated in line with statutory guidance. For instance, the section of the policy on dealing with allegations against staff does not follow the most recent statutory guidance.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are made aware of some of the potential risks to their safety, both online and outside of school. Staff know what to do if they have a concern that a pupil may be at risk of harm.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The headteacher and proprietors have not accessed suitable safeguarding training. They have failed to ensure suitable safeguarding arrangements in the school. The headteacher and proprietors should ensure that they undertake suitable training. This should be regularly refreshed so that they have an appropriate understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities and can put effective safeguarding arrangements in place in the school.  The necessary safer recruitment checks are not made on staff and volunteers before they are appointed. The school’s single central record is inaccurate. These issues put pupils at risk. Leaders must ensure that all statutory checks are made on staff before they are appointed. Leaders must also ensure that the school’s single central record is accurate.  Leaders have not ensured that the school buildings are maintained well to ensure the health and safety of pupils and staff. Leaders do not regularly review the

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

school’s fire risk assessment. Some aspects of the school buildings have fallen into a state of disrepair. Leaders must take urgent action to ensure that the school buildings are safe and maintained suitably for pupils and staff.  The school’s admissions and attendance register does not contain all of the required information. Leaders have not ensured that the local authority is updated with any in-year admissions or when pupils leave the school roll. Leaders should ensure that the admissions and attendance register contains all of the required information and that the local authority is provided with all necessary information about pupils leaving and joining the school.  The curriculum is not well planned to help pupils to know and remember more. Leaders have not thought about the crucial knowledge that pupils need to learn and the order in which this should be taught. This means that pupils experience a

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

disconnected series of lessons and do not build on what they already know. Leaders should precisely define the knowledge that pupils must be taught, and the order in which it is taught, so that teachers are clear about what to teach.  Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum is implemented well. Teachers do not check pupils’ understanding well enough before moving on to new content. Pupils struggle to remember what they have been taught. Leaders need to ensure 14 to 16 September 2021 that teachers use assessment well to check pupils’ understanding and inform the next steps in their teaching.  Leaders have not ensured that staff understand how to deliver the school’s chosen curriculum for early reading and phonics. Pupils do not learn to read quickly enough. Leaders should ensure that all staff receive training and adhere to the school’s phonics programme so that pupils quickly become confident and

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

fluent readers.  Teachers have not received the subject-specific training that they need to teach subjects well. They lack the subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum effectively. Leaders should ensure that teachers receive subject-specific training so that they have the necessary knowledge to teach the curriculum well.  The proprietors do not fulfil their statutory responsibilities. They have not put suitable procedures in place to check that the school’s policies are being implemented effectively. A number of independent school standards are not met. Leaders must establish appropriate systems so that they can check on the implementation and impact of the school’s policies and ensure that the independent schools standards are met.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 provider and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 14 to 16 September 2021

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School details

Proprietor Graham Lumby Midgley and Ruth Mary Midgley Headteacher Ruth Mary Midgley

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 December 2020 14 to 16 September 2021

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Information about this school

 Netherleigh and Rossefield School is an independent day school for pupils aged between two and 11 years old.  The previous standard inspection by Ofsted was on 12 May 2010. The Independent School Inspectorate has been responsible for inspecting the school between 2010 and 2019. In February 2020, the Department for Education advised that future inspections would be undertaken by Ofsted. A progress monitoring inspection was carried out by Ofsted in December 2020.  The headteacher, who is also one of the proprietors, is in school for one day each week.  The school has provision for two-year-old children. There have been no two-year- old children on the school’s roll for some time. There were no two-year-old children on roll at the time of the inspection.  Children in Nursery attend part time.  There were no pupils who have an education, health and care plan at the time of the inspection.  The school does not use any alternative education provision.

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Information about this school

 At the time of the inspection, the names of both proprietors were not listed on the government’s website, ‘Get information about schools.’

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about this inspection

The school has failed to meet the independent school standards. These are the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors did deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, history, reading and personal, social and health education. Inspectors talked to pupils about their work, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and spoke to teachers. Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans for other subjects.  Inspectors talked to a number of pupils both formally and informally during breaktimes and lunchtimes.  Inspectors scrutinised documents relating to the school’s work to safeguard pupils. Inspectors spoke to staff about the safeguarding training they receive. The school’s single central record, which includes the recruitment checks made on staff, was reviewed. 14 to 16 September 2021  Inspectors met with the proprietors, curriculum leaders, the school’s special educational needs coordinator and members of the senior leadership team. Inspectors also met with other staff.  An inspector toured the school premises to check compliance with the

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Information about this inspection

independent school premises standards.  An inspector held a telephone call with the designated officer.  The inspection team considered the views of members of staff and pupils who responded to Ofsted’s questionnaires. There were no responses from parents or carers to the parent questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View. An inspector spoke to some parents at the school gate at the end of the school day.

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Inspection team

Michele Costello, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tracey Ralph Her Majesty’s Inspector 14 to 16 September 2021

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if-

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2(1)(a) the proprietor ensures that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub-paragraph (2) is drawn up and implemented effectively; and

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2(1)(b) the written policy, plans and schemes of work-

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 2(1)(b)(i) take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those pupils with an EHC plan.

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school-

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(a) enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(d) shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons;

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

– 3(e) demonstrates good knowledge and understanding of the subject matter being taught.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 7 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that-

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 7(a) arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school; and

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 7(b) such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 11 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that relevant health and safety laws are complied with by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written health and safety policy. 14 to 16 September 2021  12 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005[12].

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 15 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that an admission and attendance register is maintained in accordance with the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006[13].

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 16 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that-

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 16(b) appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified.

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

 18(2) The standard in this paragraph is met if-

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

– 18(2)(a) no such person is barred from regulated activity relating to children in accordance with section 3(2) of the 2006 Act where that person is or will be engaging in activity which is regulated activity within the meaning of Part 1 of Schedule 4 to that Act;

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

– 18(2)(b) no such person carries out work, or intends to carry out work, at the school in contravention of a prohibition order, an interim prohibition order, or any direction made under section 128 of the 2008 Act or section 142 of the 2002 Act, or any disqualification, prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in either such direction;

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

– 18(2)(c) the proprietor carries out appropriate checks to confirm in respect of each such person-

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

– 18(2)(c)(iii) the person’s right to work in the United Kingdom; and

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

– 18(2)(d) the proprietor ensures that, where relevant to any such person, an enhanced criminal record check is made in respect of that person and an enhanced criminal record certificate is obtained before or as soon as practicable after that person’s appointment;

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

– 18(2)(e) in the case of any person for whom, by reason of that person living or having lived outside the United Kingdom, obtaining such a certificate is not sufficient to establish the person’s suitability to work in a school, such further checks are made as the proprietor considers appropriate, having regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

 18(3) The checks referred to in sub-paragraphs (2)(c) and (except where sub- paragraph (4) applies) (2)(e) must be completed before a person’s appointment.

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

 21(3) The information referred to in this sub-paragraph is- 14 to 16 September 2021 – 21(3)(a) in relation to each member of staff ("S") appointed on or after 1st May 2007, whether-

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

– 21(3)(a)(ii) a check was made to establish whether S is barred from regulated activity relating to children in accordance with section 3(2) of the 2006 Act;

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

– 21(3)(a)(iii) a check was made to establish whether S is subject to any direction made under section 128 of the 2008 Act or section 142 of the 2002 Act or any disqualification, prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in such a direction;

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

– 21(3)(a)(v) an enhanced criminal record certificate was obtained in respect of S;

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

– 21(3)(a)(vi) checks were made pursuant to paragraph 18(2)(d);

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

– 21(3)(a)(vii) a check of S’s right to work in the United Kingdom was made; and

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

– 21(3)(a)(viii) checks were made pursuant to paragraph 18(2)(e),

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

– 21(3)(b) in relation to each member of staff ("S"), whether a check was made to establish whether S is subject to a prohibition order or an interim prohibition order, including the date on which such check was completed.

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 25 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the school premises and the accommodation and facilities provided therein are maintained to a standard such that, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of pupils are ensured.

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Part 6. Provision of information

 32(1) The standard about the provision of information by the school is met if the proprietor ensures that-

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Part 6. Provision of information

– 32(1)(a) the information specified in sub-paragraph (2) is provided to parents of pupils and parents of prospective pupils and, on request, to the Chief Inspector [14], the Secretary of State or an independent inspectorate [15];

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Part 6. Provision of information

– 32(1)(b) the information specified in sub-paragraph (3) is made available to parents of pupils and parents of prospective pupils and, on request, to the Chief Inspector, the Secretary of State or an independent inspectorate;

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Part 6. Provision of information

– 32(1)(c) particulars of the arrangements for meeting the standard contained in paragraph 7 are published on the school’s internet website or, where no such website exists, are provided to parents on request.

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Part 6. Provision of information

 32(3) The information specified in this sub-paragraph is- 14 to 16 September 2021 – 32(3)(a) particulars of the school’s policy on and arrangements for admissions, misbehaviour and exclusions;

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Part 6. Provision of information

– 32(3)(b) particulars of educational and welfare provision for pupils with EHC plans and pupils for whom English is an additional language;

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Part 6. Provision of information

– 32(3)(c) particulars of the policy referred to in paragraph 2;

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Part 6. Provision of information

– 32(3)(d) particulars of arrangements for meeting the standards contained in paragraphs 9, 10, 11 and 13;

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Part 6. Provision of information

– 32(3)(e) particulars of the school’s academic performance during the preceding school year, including the results of any public examinations;

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Part 6. Provision of information

– 32(3)(f) details of the complaints procedure referred to in paragraph 33, and the number of complaints registered under the formal procedure during the preceding school year.

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Part 7. Manner in which complaints are handled

 33 The standard about the manner in which complaints are handled is met if the proprietor ensures that a complaints procedure is drawn up and effectively implemented which deals with the handling of complaints from parents of pupils and which-

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Part 7. Manner in which complaints are handled

– 33(b) is made available to parents of pupils.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school-

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently;

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(c) actively promote the well-being of pupils.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

 3.2, 3.9, 3.10, 3.12, 3.55, 3.56. 14 to 16 September 2021 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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Early Years Foundation Stage

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Early Years Foundation Stage

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Early Years Foundation Stage

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Early Years Foundation Stage

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