Golcar Junior Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of a good school: Golcar Junior Infant and Nursery School Manor Road, Golcar, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD7 4QE

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Outcome

Golcar Junior Infant and Nursery School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school describe it as a happy place to be. They feel safe and cared for. One pupil explained that this school is about ‘learning and friendship’. Pupils know that their teachers want the best for them. Pupils and staff alike celebrate achievement. Positive relationships between staff and pupils are evident throughout school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils are keen to meet these expectations. Leaders explain their aspirations for broadening pupils’ experiences and making sure that they are provided with the best start in life. Leaders have made links with a local university so pupils are encouraged to aim high. Pupils enjoy the wide range of visits and extra-curricular activities the school offers, including cooking, computing, choir, leadership, orienteering and a wide range of sports.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils regularly receive clear messages about bullying from school. They explain how they should treat each other with respect. They also explain that they should challenge bullying if they see it. Pupils all understand how to report bullying and agree that teachers would take it very seriously. Pupils agree that bullying is rare and tackled by staff if it occurs.

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

Leaders have undertaken significant curriculum improvement. They have planned carefully what pupils will learn. Detailed curriculum plans ensure that pupils can build knowledge over time and make links to prior learning. In key stage 2, pupils understand how different periods of history influence each other. They use timelines to build a secure understanding of chronology. Across subjects, teachers use ‘paddling’, ‘snorkelling’ and ‘diving’ activities to make sure that pupils gain a deep understanding of topics. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported to access the curriculum alongside their peers. Teachers ensure that classrooms are inclusive and all pupils are enabled to succeed. 8 and 9 June 2022

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Teachers plan opportunities for checking what pupils know through quizzes and questioning. However, assessment in foundation subjects is not closely matched to the new curriculum plans. It does not allow teachers to check exactly what pupils have remembered over time.

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Leaders are committed to developing pupils’ literacy. Vocabulary has been prioritised across the curriculum. Leaders ensure that ambitious vocabulary is included in knowledge organisers that pupils use across a range of subjects. Pupils in all year groups enjoy daily story time and explain what lessons those stories teach them. Leaders have very recently introduced a new phonics scheme for teaching early reading. All staff have undergone training to deliver the new scheme. However, staff still have varying levels of expertise. Pupils are able to use their phonics knowledge to decode books, and there is regular support in place for pupils who struggle.

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Parents praise the support the school provides for pupils with SEND and their families in quickly identifying and meeting pupils’ potential needs. This is particularly evident in the early years. Leaders communicate closely with parents of pupils with SEND to ensure that they can remove any barriers to success. Following the pandemic, leaders have recognised the increasing need for additional mental health provision. A counsellor and behaviour and inclusion worker provide much-valued support for pupils.

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Pupils behave well in lessons. They are generally engaged and focused on their learning. Any low-level disruption or inattention is challenged by teachers. Pupils who find it difficult to manage their emotions are provided with targeted support to help them succeed in school. Pupils cooperate and treat each other kindly at social times. They play together and make sure that no one is left out. Pupils understand how to be a good friend. Even the younger children refer to the school rules of ‘ready, respectful, safe’.

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Leaders have ensured that important messages around diversity and respect are threaded through all subjects, as well as being explicitly taught in personal, social, health and economics education lessons. Leaders plan that the topics and stories that pupils encounter will teach them important lessons about tolerance and celebrating difference. One pupil explained that ‘diversity is the one true thing we all have in common’. Pupils describe school as a caring and safe place. Pupils are encouraged to develop their independence and resilience. They embrace challenges and mistakes as a ‘chance to get better’. Children in the early years are encouraged to try and solve problems for themselves.

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The interim leadership team have guided the school through a period of transition. Staff feel well supported while recognising the challenges of recent years. Staff agree that leaders listen to their concerns and consider their well-being. They are proud to work at this school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe, particularly online. Parents are also 8 and 9 June 2022

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included in digital well-being workshops. Pupils are clear about how to report any worries or concerns. They all have a trusted adult in school.

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Leaders have robust systems for monitoring pupils who might be vulnerable. Leaders ensure that these pupils and their families receive additional support where needed. Leaders keep detailed logs of actions taken to keep pupils safe. Leaders use a wide range of external agencies to educate pupils about the risks they might face. Safer recruitment practices are in place and records are accurately kept.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Currently, not all staff deliver phonics with the same level of expertise. This means that pupils do not all get the same level of support to help them learn to read quickly. Leaders should ensure that all staff have sufficient training to deliver phonics to the same high standard.  Assessment in foundation subjects is not closely aligned to the ambitious curriculum leaders have created. This means teachers are not always able to check precisely what pupils remember over time. Leaders should ensure that assessment is closely matched to what pupils have learned.

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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 March 2017.

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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 8 and 9 June 2022

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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. 8 and 9 June 2022

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School details

Acting chair of governing body Marion Stevens

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 and 2 March 2017

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Aspire Cooperative Learning Trust, a local partnership of schools.  Since the previous inspection, there have been changes in leadership. A new headteacher has been appointed to begin in September 2022. The chair of governors has also changed.  The school uses one alternative provision: Engage Academy.

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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 leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with a range of senior leaders, including the headteacher, deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher. She also spoke with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector spoke with subject leaders, looked at 8 and 9 June 2022

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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 looked at a range of curriculum plans from other subject areas.  The inspector met with a range of other middle leaders, including the early years leader and the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator. She looked at a range of documentation, including pupils’ individual support plans. The inspector checked how these pupils were being supported in lessons.  The inspector checked the single central record and other documents relating to safer recruitment practices. She met with leaders responsible for safeguarding and checked logs of actions taken to keep pupils safe.  The inspector spoke with a range of pupils, formally and informally, over the course of the inspection.  The inspector observed the behaviour of pupils during social times.

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 The inspector spoke with a number of parents informally.  The inspector studied a range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation, the school improvement plan, data around exclusions and attendance and minutes of governors’ meetings.  The inspector considered responses to the staff questionnaire. She also considered the free-text responses to Ofsted Parent View, the online questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Katherine Spurr, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 8 and 9 June 2022

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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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