Battyeford CofE (VC) Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Battyeford CofE (VC) Primary School Nab Lane, Mirfield, West Yorkshire WF14 9QH

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Inspection dates: 9 and 10 November 2022

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Outcome

Battyeford CofE (VC) Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at Battyeford Primary School. They are happy and safe. There is a strong sense of community. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ attitudes and behaviour. In most classes, routines are clear. This helps pupils to stay focused. Pupils engage well and enjoy learning. Bullying is extremely rare. Pupils report incidents of bullying. Staff mange these incidents quickly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the right support. They access an ambitious curriculum. Staff make sure that children in the early years are nurtured. Relationships are warm and supportive. Children are prepared well for their next stage of learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have a particularly strong focus on building pupils’ character and fostering effective relationships. For example, staff train and support some pupils to take on important responsibilities. The ‘Battyeford Boosters’ organise games for other pupils at breaktimes. Peer mediators support pupils who have had a ‘falling out’. Pupils support each other in lessons. They help each other to learn.

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

Curriculum planning is sequenced carefully. Important knowledge is revisited. This helps pupils to remember their learning. In some subjects, such as art, curriculum planning is not detailed enough. The small steps pupils need to take in their learning are not consistently clear. This makes it difficult to assess gaps in pupils’ understanding. Leaders are already working to improve this. Subject leaders are knowledgeable. They use research to inform their actions. Teachers scaffold learning effectively for pupils, including those with SEND. Teachers address misconceptions quickly and effectively.

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

Children learn to read quickly. Leaders recently introduced a new phonics scheme. Reading leaders are well informed about how children learn to read. Staff have undertaken appropriate training. The approach to teaching phonics is broadly consistent 9 and 10 November 2022

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across the school. Leaders are improving consistency already using lesson observations and feedback. The books that early readers access do not contain the sounds they know consistently. Leaders use a range of strategies to foster a love of reading. For example, they open the library to parents and carers once a week so that they can read with their children in school.

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In the early years, leaders plan activities carefully so that they support the teacher-led sessions. For example, when children learn about shape in teacher-led sessions, games such as ‘find the shape’ help to reinforce which shape is which. Staff deliberately work to build children’s vocabulary. Where individual children would benefit from additional learning, leaders make sure this happens. For example, if a child’s fine motor skills are less developed, leaders provide them with further opportunities to practise movements that will improve their fine motor control.

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The curriculum for pupils’ personal, social and health education (PSHE) is appropriate to the needs of the pupils. They learn how to stay safe, including online. They learn about being healthy. Pupils learn to treat other people fairly and with respect. Pupils remember some aspects of the PSHE curriculum well, but others, such as democracy, are less secure. The wide range of educational visits, including a residential visit, are deliberately chosen to support pupils’ learning of the planned curriculum. For example, pupils visit the zoo when they learn about the food chain in science. There is a range of extra-curricular clubs on offer, such as craft club and board game club. These activities change each half term so there is something new for pupils to try. Collective worship is meaningful to pupils. It helps pupils to develop sensitive and caring attitudes.

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Governors are knowledgeable about, and committed to, the school. Leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for development. Most staff feel that they are supported well by leaders. Workload is managed carefully so that staff are not overwhelmed.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel comfortable reporting any worries to staff. Staff receive appropriate safeguarding training. They report all concerns to leaders. Leaders act quickly and effectively to support pupils. They involve external agencies, such as the local authority’s children’s services, where needed. Leaders work closely with other partners, such as the police community safety officers, so that they are aware of any emerging risks to pupils. Leaders use the PSHE curriculum and assemblies to educate pupils about risks such as antisocial behaviour.

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Safeguarding

Checks are carried out to ensure staff and visitors are appropriately vetted and safe to work with children.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the curriculum is not broken down to show the small steps pupils need to take to gain the knowledge and skills leaders intend. On occasion, teachers cannot identify and assess the gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Leaders should continue to develop the curriculum, ensuring that it is clear what pupils will learn and how this will be assessed at each stage of the curriculum.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 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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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. 9 and 10 November 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.battyefordprimary.com/

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 September 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a nursery provision, catering for pupils from age three.  The school makes use of one unregistered alternative provider.

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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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held several meetings with the headteacher during the inspection.  A meeting was held with six members of the governing body.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and, where appropriate, looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult. 9 and 10 November 2022

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 Pupils talked to the inspector, formally and informally, about their learning and experiences at school.  Safeguarding documentation and records for behaviour and attendance were considered.  The inspector reviewed the responses received through Ofsted’s survey, Ofsted Parent View, including 80 free-text responses. The inspector considered responses received through Ofsted’s staff survey.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the school day, including during lesson visits and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. The inspector spoke to groups of pupils about their views on behaviour and the wider experiences they receive at school.

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Inspection team

Zoe Helman, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 9 and 10 November 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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