St Andrew's CofE (VA) Junior School

Inspection of a good school: St Andrew’s CofE (VA) Junior School Waterloo Road, Brighouse, West Yorkshire HD6 2AN

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 November 2021

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Outcome

St Andrew’s CofE (VA) Junior School continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if the inspector were to carry out a section 5 inspection now. The school’s next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils in this school are happy. They feel safe and cared for well. Leaders have created a supportive and welcoming environment where everyone can flourish. Relationships between pupils and staff are exemplary. The strong Christian values of the school are expertly woven through all areas of school life. Leaders and teachers work in close partnership with parents. The senior learning mentor knows the families exceptionally well. They value the additional support she provides.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) thrive in this school. Leaders and teachers skilfully adapt the curriculum to enable all pupils to take a full part in lessons. Adaptations such as wheelchair ramps, dyslexia-friendly reading materials and fully inclusive sports activities help all pupils to feel included. The headteacher has an excellent understanding of pupils’ emotional and behaviour needs. She makes sure that teachers help pupils learn to behave, as much as they learn across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour in lessons and during breaktimes is highly positive. Bullying rarely happens but, when it does, staff act quickly. The development of running tracks for the daily mile, a multi-use games area and specialist sports coaches help pupils to have active and positive playtimes.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have ensured that an excellent, well-sequenced and knowledge-rich curriculum is embedded across all year groups. Curriculum leaders are passionate about their subjects. They keep up to date with new subject developments and provide highly effective professional development for all staff. Regular monitoring and training help them to keep standards high in their subjects. Teachers use their strong subject knowledge to provide 10 and 11 November 2021

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engaging learning for all pupils. A wide range of experiences and visits help to enrich pupils’ learning experiences.

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Teachers assess pupils’ work in lessons systematically. Pupils appreciate the immediate feedback on their work. Targeted interventions help all pupils to keep up and feel successful in their learning. Daily ‘mini-maths’ and ‘quick six’ sessions provide opportunities for pupils to revisit prior learning. This helps pupils to develop a deep understanding of all subject areas. Teachers encourage pupils to celebrate their ‘marvellous mistakes’. Pupils know that this helps them to be better learners.

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The provision for pupils with SEND is exemplary. This starts from a culture of the highest expectations for all pupils. The special educational needs coordinator provides effective support to teachers. Pupils with education, health and care plans receive extensive additional support. Since the previous inspection, leaders have successfully improved levels of attendance for pupils with SEND. The learning mentors work highly effectively with families to provide additional support.

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Leaders prioritise the teaching of reading. Each classroom has a well-developed and inviting reading area. Leaders have thought carefully about the texts used in reading lessons. These widen pupils’ experience of traditional and modern stories. Reading lessons are carefully structured. Pupils stay focused and enjoy what they are reading. Pupils complete regular quizzes on the books they take to read at home. Teachers carefully monitor the results and guide pupils to further reading. Pupils who may struggle to read receive daily phonics instruction to help them catch up. Teachers make sure pupils read books which match the sounds that they know. Dyslexia-friendly books and electronic books support readers with specific learning needs.

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Pupils’ personal development in this school is exemplary. Pupils develop a strength of character and an understanding of what it means to be part of a diverse community. Pupils learn to understand, appreciate and respect difference through a range of faiths and cultures. Leaders have ensured that teachers deliver learning around the protected characteristics sensitively and positively. Leaders use daily worship to develop the school’s Christian values and encourage pupils to contribute to the prayer for the day. Leaders value the ‘pupil voice’ highly and members of the school council play a meaningful and active part in developments in school. There is an excellent range of extra-curricular clubs available to all pupils.

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Teachers and support staff are proud to be a part of this school. The high expectations of, and support from, leaders have built a climate of trust and ambition. Leaders consider workload carefully when introducing new initiatives. Governors are highly effective and hold leaders to account robustly. Their curriculum knowledge is strong. Senior leaders benefit from additional support provided by representatives of the diocese and the local authority.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 10 and 11 November 2021

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Leaders have ensured that safeguarding is a priority of the school. Procedures for ensuring the safe recruitment of staff are robust. All staff receive regular, high-quality training and know how to raise concerns. Leaders have developed a culture of ‘it could happen here’. Concerns raised are acted upon quickly and effectively. Actions are taken to improve outcomes for pupils and families. Leaders use the support of external partners, such as the community police team and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, to help deepen pupils’ understanding of online safety risks.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, 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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then 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 deem the section 8 inspection as 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.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 10 and 11 November 2021

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.standrews.calderdale.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 22 and 23 June 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 St Andrew’s CofE (VA) Junior School federated with St Andrew’s CofE (VA) Infant School in April 2018.  The executive headteacher for the federation was previously the headteacher of the junior school.  Governors appointed a new head of school, previously the deputy head, for the junior school in September 2021.  The last section 48 inspection was completed on 14 February 2017. Inspectors judged the school to be good. The next section 48 inspection is due in 2022.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation. 10 and 11 November 2021

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 The inspector met with the executive headteacher and head of school, the acting coordinator for special educational needs and representatives of the governing body, diocese and local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also met with the subject leader for personal, social and health education and viewed examples of resources, pupils’ work and photographs from events and visits. In addition, the inspector spent time observing pupils’ behaviour and relationships in breakfast club and at lunchtime.  To judge the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector scrutinised the single central record, checked the procedures for the safer recruitment of staff and held a meeting

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with the designated safeguarding lead. The inspector met with staff to check their understanding of safeguarding and the impact of any training received. Additionally, the inspector met with members of the governing body to discuss their statutory responsibilities.  The inspector spoke to parents at the start of the school day and considered the responses to the survey, Ofsted Parent View, including 25 free-text responses. In addition, the inspector considered the responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Alex Thorp, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 10 and 11 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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