Staincliffe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Staincliffe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School Staincliffe Hall Road, Batley, West Yorkshire WF17 7QX

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Outcome

Staincliffe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and feel safe in this welcoming, friendly school. The school ethos is firmly grounded in the values of respect, trust, courage and joy. These values are also used as the names of the school’s houses. This helps pupils to remember them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders, governors and staff have high expectations for every pupil. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is excellent. They try hard and are proud of their work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is rare. Occasionally, a very small number of pupils do not meet behaviour expectations at breaktimes or lunchtimes. Staff manage these rare occasions effectively. Most pupils are kind, respectful and play together happily. Pupils trust staff to listen to them and help them if they have any worries. Staff help pupils to recognise and manage their feelings. Leaders have provided a ‘chill and chat’ room, where pupils can go if they need extra help.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders help pupils to learn about people who are less fortunate than themselves. Pupils want to help. They have great fun planning and taking part in events to support charities in the local area and around the world.

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

Leaders make sure the curriculum is broad. Teachers model learning step-by-step for pupils. This helps pupils to understand new concepts. Teachers revisit learning and provide quizzes to check pupils have understood. This helps pupils to remember more over time. Teachers make suitable adaptations for pupils with SEND. They follow the same curriculum as their peers. In a few subjects, the curriculum is new. In these subjects, teachers do not consistently select the best lesson activities to help pupils learn well. 7 and 8 March 2023

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Leaders are developing these subjects further. They provide curriculum training for teachers where necessary.

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Some pupils start at the school in Year 3 with significant gaps in their knowledge. Leaders have strategies in place to help these pupils to catch up. For example, leaders have put a phonics scheme in place to help pupils who are not fluent readers when they are admitted to the school. The scheme is well sequenced and staff follow a consistent routine. Pupils know the routine well. This helps them to learn new sounds quickly. The books pupils have to practise their reading match the sounds that they know. This helps them to become confident readers. Teachers check pupils’ phonic knowledge regularly. They put right any misconceptions straight away. This helps everyone to keep up. The curriculum for writing helps pupils to master the small steps they need to develop as writers.

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Pupils learn about people from different backgrounds, including other faiths and cultures. They enjoy meeting visitors who are different to themselves. These visitors have included a Sikh musician. Leaders provide many opportunities for pupils to be leaders, including as prefects, librarians and ambassadors for the school. The ambassadors recently visited another school, described Islam and explained what it means to be a Muslim. Pupils enjoy the clubs that they attend at lunchtime and after school. These include a range of sports and dance clubs. Pupils who cannot stay behind after school appreciate the lunchtime clubs on offer.

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Staff are well supported by leaders. Teachers and teaching assistants appreciate the training they receive. They feel valued because of the consideration leaders have for them and their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders carry out rigorous checks on all adults who come into contact with pupils. Staff are well trained to keep pupils safe. They know the pupils well and are quick to spot any signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm. Leaders take swift action when a concern is raised. They seek support from specialist agencies when necessary.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about keeping safe in a range of situations, including online. Leaders provide information about internet safety for parents and carers. They have helped some parents to install parental controls at home to keep their children safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, teachers do not consistently plan activities and work that match the curriculum well enough. As a result, pupils do not learn and remember important knowledge securely. Leaders should ensure that teachers use their training 7 and 8 March 2023

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and the school’s resources well to deliver sequences of learning that match the intended 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/outstanding in November 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. 7 and 8 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255815 Type of school Junior

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.staincliffejuniorschool.co.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 and 2 November 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher is new to post since the previous inspection.  This school is larger than the average-sized junior school.  The school is a voluntary controlled Church of England School within the Diocese of Leeds. The most recent section 48 inspection of the school’s religious character took place in December 2021. It was judged to be good.  The school operates before-school provision.

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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 had several meetings with the headteacher during the inspection.  A meeting was held with three members of the governing body.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and science. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject 7 and 8 March 2023

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leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the school day, including during lesson visits and at lunchtime.  Pupils talked to the inspector, formally and informally, about their learning, their views on behaviour and the wider experiences they receive at school. The inspector also considered responses received through Ofsted’s pupil survey.  Safeguarding documentation and records for behaviour and attendance were considered.  The inspector reviewed the responses received through Ofsted’s survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses.  The inspector considered responses received through Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Janet Keefe, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 March 2023

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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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