Orchard Primary Academy

Inspection of Orchard Primary Academy Princess Road, Chickenley, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire WF12 8QT

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 15 and 16 June 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and they feel safe at Orchard Primary Academy. Relationships are built on mutual respect. Pupils understand that they are expected to work hard and uphold the school’s rules of ‘respect, resilience and aspiration’. One pupil said, ‘Teachers tell you to be who you are.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well and are polite. They are engaged in their lessons. This is because they are interested in their learning. Pupils are keen to share ideas and opinions. This helps them to build on each other’s ideas and to learn successfully. Pupils say that instances of bullying are rare, but when it does happen, they know staff will sort it out.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff share leaders’ vision for each child. They want all pupils to reach their potential in each of the curriculum subjects. Meaningful experiences, such as visits and visitors, bring subjects alive. As pupils move through the school, there are a wealth of opportunities to take part in, such as theme days, mindfulness activities, music lessons, after-school clubs and sporting events. Pupils are encouraged to become responsible citizens. They take on different roles and responsibilities such as play leaders, sports leaders and student council members. These give pupils the opportunity to develop their leadership skills.

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better?

Learning to read is one of this school’s top priorities. Leaders have ambitious plans to transform the teaching of reading, particularly early reading. They are working with a local English hub to do this. Right from the start, children in Nursey start learning phonics. Pupils read books that match their phonics knowledge. This is helping to increase their reading confidence. As teachers spot a gap in learning, teaching assistants provide extra teaching. Support continues until pupils are successful. Occasionally, in some sessions, a small number of staff use different strategies. These are not in line with the school’s approach. They hinder pupils’ fluency. Leaders have training sessions planned to address this.

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better?

Pupils say they enjoy listening to adults read to them. Stories read to pupils help their learning in other subjects. Pupils have access to a range of books and say they enjoy reading. Once the phonics programme is completed, pupils have daily ‘guided reading’ lessons. In these lessons, pupils analyse texts and answer questions about them.

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better?

Leaders have identified the key knowledge that pupils need to know and understand in subjects. They ensure that teachers have access to training to supplement their subject knowledge. As a result, teachers know the curriculum well. They design engaging lessons. Pupils are given time to practise skills and build on their previous learning. For example, in science, pupils in Year 3 were using skills taught in mathematics to measure fossils as part of an investigation. Careful monitoring and a range of assessment methods help to give leaders and teachers assurance that 15 and 16 June 2022

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pupils are benefiting from the changes to the curriculum. However, in some subjects, for example history, subject leadership is at an earlier stage of development. Leaders have not yet checked what pupils know. Some pupils do not have a secure understanding of what they have been taught previously. This work has been impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Leaders are ambitious that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) will access the same curriculum as their peers. Leaders identify pupils with SEND quickly. Teachers use a range of strategies and resources to ensure that pupils receive the support they need to take part in lessons and achieve well.

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The leadership in early years is strong. Children get off to a good start when they join the school. Children in the early years start to develop knowledge and skills to prepare them for Year 1 and beyond. The development of vocabulary has a high priority in early years. Children use new vocabulary effectively when talking about their learning. Children in Reception talked about ‘subitising’ objects when learning to count. As a result, children make strong progress from their low starting points.

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Leaders give careful consideration to the characteristics they want pupils to develop. Pupils are taught to ‘Dream Big, Dare to Fail’. There is a wealth of opportunities for pupils’ personal development. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. However, the effectiveness of this is variable. Currently, some pupils do not know enough about the different religions that they study.

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Leaders, including governors and leaders from the trust, support and challenge staff well. Governors visit the school to check the impact of improvement actions. Staff report that they are well supported by leaders. They are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, staff and governors ensure that the safety of pupils is at the forefront of their work. Staff receive regular and appropriate training that ensures they can identify pupils who may need help and support. Safeguarding records are detailed and thorough. Strong communication between staff ensures that concerns are shared swiftly. Leaders work effectively with external agencies to provide support to pupils and their families when needed. They are not afraid to insist on more help if needed.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that appropriate checks have been carried out before visitors come into the school. 15 and 16 June 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have introduced a new phonics programme. Teaching assistants have received training in the teaching of phonics. However, this is relatively new and as a result, some phonics sessions lack the pace of others. Leaders should make sure that they complete their planned training programme so that all pupils benefit from phonics teaching that is as good as the best.  Subject leaders have monitored the changes they have made to the curriculum. However, this has not yet had an impact on what some pupils know and remember. Leaders need to continue to support subject leaders new to their role to monitor the implementation of the changes they have made and check the impact these are having on enabling pupils to learn more and remember more.  Although pupils learn about different faiths and cultures, pupils move on to new ideas before grasping previous knowledge. As a result, a small number of pupils

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

do not have a detailed knowledge of different religions. Leaders must ensure that all pupils have a good knowledge and understanding of different religions and cultures.

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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. 15 and 16 June 2022

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School details

Website www.orchardprimaryacademy.org Date of previous inspection 23 and 24 October 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Orchard Primary Academy is part of the South Pennine Academies’ Trust. It joined the trust in November 2015. Trust members delegate responsibility for the governance of the school to the trustees, who sit on three committees. In turn, governance responsibility is then delegated to local governance boards. There is a chief executive officer of the trust.  The school is larger than the average-size primary school. It has a higher proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan and a much higher number of pupils who have special educational needs than the national averages. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is well above the national average. The school serves a community with a higher level of deprivation than the national average.  The school has provision for two-year-olds.  Leaders do not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 15 and 16 June 2022

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During this inspection, the inspectors held meetings with the chief executive officer of the trust; the principal and other senior leaders; leaders of subject areas; the special educational needs coordinator; and teachers at different career points. The lead inspector met with the chair of governors and the vice-chair of governors. She also met the school’s improvement partner.  The inspectors did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science and history. The inspectors met with curriculum leaders for these subjects, visited lessons, looked at a range of pupils’ work and met with teachers and pupils. The lead inspector observed some pupils reading to staff and talked to pupils about

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their reading habits.  The inspectors met with several groups of pupils to seek their views about the school. The inspectors also spoke to pupils informally in class and around the school at breaktimes.  Inspectors spoke with parents at the start of the day.  To check leaders’ management of safeguarding, the lead inspector spoke with the principal, who is also the deputy designated safeguarding lead, and the designated safeguarding lead. The inspectors reviewed the single central record and records related to behaviour and safeguarding incidents. The inspectors considered the school’s processes for reporting safeguarding concerns. All inspectors spoke with pupils, staff and governors to check their views on safeguarding.  The inspectors scrutinised the school’s website and documentation. This included information relating to safeguarding and child protection; attendance and behaviour; bullying; the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans;

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information about pupils’ progress and attainment; and minutes of governors’ meetings and activities.  Inspectors took into account 84 responses to the online questionnaire Ofsted Parent View, including 12 free-text responses, and 45 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Gerry Wilson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Linda Collier Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 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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