Ossett Flushdyke Junior and Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Ossett Flushdyke Junior and Infant School Wakefield Road, Flushdyke, Ossett, West Yorkshire WF5 9AN

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Outcome

Ossett Flushdyke Junior and Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a small school with big ambitions for its pupils. Pupils feel safe and happy. There is an atmosphere of calm. The school’s values are clearly lived by all those in the school community. Kindness is particularly obvious around school through how pupils treat each other. Pupils build strong relationships with each other and adults. Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. The school behaviour policy is well understood and applied by staff. Pupils feel strongly that they are all treated fairly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In lessons, pupils begin their work quickly and with enthusiasm. They look for opportunities to help each other. Outside lessons, pupils play together and enjoy spending time with each other. Pupils understand what bullying is and how to recognise it. Bullying rarely happens, but if it does, pupils have absolute confidence that adults will deal with it effectively. Pupils know they can go to an adult if they have something that they are worried about.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ high expectations for pupils extend to the curriculum. Leaders have made significant changes recently which are having a positive impact on pupils’ experiences. Pupils speak with enthusiasm about these changes and how they have helped them in school.

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

The teaching of reading is a strength of the school. Leaders have focused on ensuring that there is high-quality teaching of reading from the moment pupils start school. The phonics curriculum is delivered with consistency and skill. Pupils quickly learn to become proficient, fluent readers. Any pupils who need support with reading are identified and supported. These pupils quickly catch up with their peers. Leaders have ensured that staff are trained to a high standard and have a strong knowledge of how to teach pupils to read.

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

Leaders have recently made significant changes to the wider curriculum. Leaders are clear 5 October 2022

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about the ways in which they want different subjects to support their pupils to develop their broader understanding of the world. In some subjects, leaders have given careful thought to the key knowledge and vocabulary they want pupils to learn. This is particularly clear in subjects such as mathematics and history. This allows teachers to present learning to pupils in ways which help them to build on what they have been previously taught. In other subjects, the key knowledge and vocabulary leaders wish pupils to learn are not as clear.

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In phonics lessons, teachers regularly check if pupils understand what they are being taught. This allows teachers to skilfully correct any misconceptions pupils may have. These careful checks of learning are sometimes seen in mathematics. However, in some mathematics lessons and other subjects, these careful checks of understanding do not happen often enough or with precision. This means that some pupils, particularly lower attainers or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are not always as well supported as they could be to keep up with the learning.

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There are clear systems for identifying pupils with SEND. These systems are understood by staff. However, the small steps and support these pupils need to be successful in their learning are not clearly enough defined and put into place. This is because the plans in place to support these pupils are not linked to what assessment information is telling teachers about their learning.

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The provision for pupils’ broader development beyond the classroom is given high priority. Leaders have ensured that pupils have meaningful opportunities to develop their ‘mental fitness’. Pupils respond well to this and talk about how it helps them. Pupils value the leadership opportunities they get. For example, lunchtime leaders enthusiastically support younger pupils to play games and move around school safely. Pupils benefit from and enjoy an increasing range of after-school activities and clubs. Pupils have a strong sense of the wider society they are part of. They understand diversity and the values of tolerance and respect.

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Children in the early years get a strong start to their education. Adults promote and develop children’s vocabulary skilfully and help them to understand the number system. Children enjoy a curriculum which is carefully designed to give them the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in future learning.

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Governors understand the strengths and areas for the development of the school. They support and challenge senior leaders. Staff at all levels feel well supported by leaders. They acknowledge that the changes leaders have made have increased workload. However, they know that as the curriculum becomes more embedded, workload will adjust accordingly.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that there are regular opportunities for staff to develop their safeguarding knowledge. Staff have a strong understanding of local safeguarding risks. 5 October 2022

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There is a culture of vigilance in school. There are clear and well-understood systems for reporting safeguarding concerns. Clear and robust recording of incidents means that leaders can take appropriate further action when necessary. External agencies are used when appropriate to give pupils and families the support they need. Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe. They have an understanding of how to stay safe online and how to recognise healthy and unhealthy relationships.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The small steps and provision for some pupils with SEND are not linked closely to assessment. As a result, the small steps these pupils need to close gaps in their learning are not clearly enough identified, and they do not always successfully access the curriculum leaders have created. Leaders should ensure that these small steps and the provision to achieve these for pupils with SEND are closely aligned to and informed by assessment so that the precise support these pupils need is given to them by teachers on a daily basis.  Checks on pupils’ understanding in lessons do not clearly identify pupils who may need additional support to be successful in their learning. As a result, some pupils who need additional support or consolidation do not always receive this, and they find it harder to build on their learning within the lesson and over time. Leaders should ensure that teachers are making regular checks on pupils’ understanding in lessons and using these

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

checks to target support for the pupils who most need it.  In some foundation subjects, the precise knowledge and vocabulary leaders want pupils to know are not clearly defined. This leads to variability in how learning in some subjects is presented to pupils and means that they cannot build their knowledge sequentially over time. Leaders should ensure that the precise knowledge and vocabulary in foundation subjects are clearly defined to support teachers to make appropriate decisions about how to present this to pupils in a way which will help them retain and build on this knowledge over time.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2013. 5 October 2022

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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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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. 5 October 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 September 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher has been in post since January 2021.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke to members of the governing body, including the chair.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in mathematics, early reading and geography. As part of each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors reviewed key documents, including the school development plan and the school self-evaluation form.  Inspectors evaluated responses from parents to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. 5 October 2022

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 Inspectors evaluated the responses that staff and pupils made to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Liam Colclough, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Dughall McCormick His Majesty’s Inspector 5 October 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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