Triangle CofE VC Primary School

Inspection of Triangle CofE VC Primary School Butterworth Lane, Triangle, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire HX6 3NJ

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 November 2021

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

This school was last inspected 14 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 17 and 18 November 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Triangle Primary is a happy and harmonious school where pupils like to attend. Pupils value their personal, social and health education (PSHE). They say it helps them to manage relationships and learn about money, which will help them in the future. However, not all curriculum subjects are as developed as others. For example, pupils do not remember essential knowledge in subjects such as art and history. In addition, there are weaknesses in the reading curriculum. This is slowing the progress of pupils who struggle to read.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Staff model respect and good manners to pupils. As a result, pupils are polite and behave well. Pupils feel that everyone treats each other with respect. Leaders develop a culture where pupils feel safe and cared for. Pupils say that they ‘trust adults here’. They are confident that if they have any worries or concerns, adults will support them. They say that if bullying takes place, adults deal with it and it stops.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents value the support from the school. They feel that ‘all the staff know every pupil and it feels like a close-knit team’. There are a range of opportunities from French club to residential visits. These support pupils to develop new talents and build their character.

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better?

Leaders have planned an ambitious curriculum in mathematics. They have identified the knowledge they want pupils to learn over time. Staff check pupils’ recall of mathematical facts. They identify what pupils need to develop and plan the curriculum to meet their needs. Leaders identified that pupils had gaps in using methods of calculation. In response, leaders developed a calculations policy with support from an external consultant. As a result of clear processes, pupils can recall mathematical knowledge and can explain how their lessons in previous years helps them to learn new information.

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better?

Leaders’ plans to develop the curriculum in other subjects, such as art and history, are at the early stages of development. Plans do not precisely identify the knowledge that pupils will build on over time. Leaders’ checks to identify what pupils know and can do, do not consistently align with the curriculum that is planned. Pupils find it hard to remember what they have learned in these subjects.

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better?

Leaders seek the views of pupils and respond to them to support a love of reading. For example, pupils’ request to read more during lunchtime has resulted in books being available during these times.

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better?

Staff teach pupils how to read from Reception. However, because teachers plan phonics lessons from a range of resources and schemes, from Reception onwards, there is inconsistency in the delivery of phonics. Pupils who are at the early stages 17 and 18 November 2021

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of reading access phonics lessons and interventions that do not match their phonic ability. As a result, pupils are unable to read books with confidence or fluency.

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Leaders quickly identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They plan individual support for pupils with SEND, including one-to-one interventions. In subjects other than reading, these sessions support pupils well.

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Children in Reception learn in a warm, caring and friendly environment. Leaders plan a curriculum in other subjects that builds on what children have learned before. Staff support children to use a range of vocabulary when encouraging them to share their own news and stories. Leaders use assessment to check what children have learned and support those who are not keeping up.

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Leaders have planned a comprehensive PSHE curriculum. It teaches pupils a range of topics that support their social and cultural development. Topics include fundamental British values, stereotyping and positive relationships, which pupils enjoy and remember.

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Pupils have a positive attitude to learning. Their behaviour is good, both in lessons and around school. They enjoy school life, including the extra-curricular activities that are on offer, such as football and cheerleading.

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Staff feel that leaders support them and are mindful of their workload. For example, staff feel that the marking policy has reduced their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, including governors, ensure that all staff are up to date with safeguarding arrangements. Staff are aware of the local safeguarding risks and know the signs to look out for. They know how to report and record any concerns that they have.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know many ways to keep themselves safe. They know about rail and road safety and how to stay safe online. Leaders keep parents informed of any safeguarding issues that may arise, through newsletters. These include keeping safe during bonfire night and inappropriate use of technology.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is not a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics. Interventions to support pupils who are at the early stages of reading do not focus on the sounds pupils know and what they need to learn next. Some of the lowest ability readers struggle to decode and blend words successfully. Leaders should ensure that there is a systematic synthetic phonics programme in place. Interventions must 17 and 18 November 2021

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meet the needs of the pupils, including pupils with SEND. Leaders should ensure staff are appropriately trained to deliver phonics lessons and interventions.  In wider subjects, such as art and history, curriculum plans do not set out the knowledge that leaders want pupils to know and remember. They do not set out learning in a logical order that builds on what pupils have learned before. As a result, pupils find it hard to remember what they have been taught. Leaders should ensure that training and support are provided for subject leaders to develop their roles so there is a well-sequenced curriculum.  Leaders have not identified the knowledge that they want pupils to remember in curriculum plans for subjects such as art and history. As a result, subject leaders do not have effective systems to check on what pupils know, and what they should have been taught, in some subjects. Leaders must ensure that assessment

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is precise enough to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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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 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. 17 and 18 November 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10199357 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.triangleprimary.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 and 31 January 2007

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Leeds.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged is lower than the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have SEND is lower than the national average.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders, a representative from the local authority, a representative from the diocese and representatives from the governing body. 17 and 18 November 2021

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 Inspectors spoke with subject leaders and carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history and art. For each deep dive, inspectors looked at curriculum plans and assessment, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke to leaders, staff and pupils about the pupils’ personal development, behaviour and attitudes. They looked at records of behaviour and observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, at breaktime and when moving around the school.  During the inspection, inspectors spoke with pupils both formally and informally.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and observed pupils reading during lessons visited and extra reading sessions.  Inspectors spoke with parents at the beginning of the school day and considered 78 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors held meetings with staff and considered the 17 responses to Ofsted’s

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online staff survey.  Inspectors reviewed safeguarding records, including the school’s single central record.  A range of documentation provided by the school was examined, including the school’s development plan, behaviour and attendance logs, and curriculum plans.

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Inspection team

Jenny Thomas, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Pritiben Patel Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 November 2021

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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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