Crossley Hall Academy

Inspection of a good school: Crossley Hall Primary School Thornton Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD8 0HJ

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Outcome

Crossley Hall Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The first of Crossley Hall’s school values is inclusion. This is apparent in every aspect of the school’s work. Pupils with a wide range of special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are warmly welcomed. Even in the liveliest, competitive games at breaktimes, boisterous pupils take care to weave around pupils who are using walking frames or wheelchairs to avoid hurting anyone.

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What is it like to attend this school?

‘The Vines’ is a specially resourced provision for pupils with communication and interaction difficulties. Some of these pupils attend lessons and activities in the main school. Pupils join in naturally when lessons are suitable. Pupils work and play well together so that everyone feels happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders identified that pupils’ behaviour needed to improve. Some pupils struggled to settle back down into classroom routines when they returned to school after the COVID- 19 restrictions. Leaders reminded pupils of their high expectations for behaviour. Pupils’ behaviour improved quickly. Bullying is extremely rare now. However, a few parents and carers are not convinced of this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have equally high expectations of pupils’ learning. This includes the youngest children. Pupils in all key stages achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils remember what they have learned about different faith traditions. This is preparing pupils well for life in modern Britain.

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

Most parents are absolutely delighted with the quality of education at Crossley Hall. However, a very small proportion of parents are not. Leaders are exploring further ways to make sure that all parents are fully on board and assured that their child is getting a good quality of education. 16 and 17 May 2023

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The members of the leadership team ensure that they devote the time they need to lead their areas of responsibilities well. Leaders considered teachers’ workload when they reviewed assessment arrangements. Leaders ensure that staff check what pupils know and can do without this being too onerous. Teachers provide regular guidance to help pupils to improve their work in all curriculum subjects. However, too many pupils miss out on this because they are frequently absent. Leaders have identified improving pupils’ attendance as a key priority on the school improvement plan.

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Pupils behave well in lessons at Crossley Hall. Teachers have consistently high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and learning in all year groups and in all subjects. Pupils know the difference between right and wrong. They respect other pupils and do not want to spoil lessons for others by misbehaving.

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Staff visit all two-year-old children in their homes. This helps children form attachments and settle quickly when they join the provision for two-year-olds. Staff skilfully help children to learn to make friends, take turns and play games together.

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Reception children have secure phonic knowledge. Staff teach correct letter formation in phonics lessons too. Reception children write simple words and phrases correctly, using the sounds that they have learned. Early reading is taught consistently well throughout the early years and key stage 1. Pupils read books that are well matched to their phonic knowledge. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are quickly becoming confident and fluent readers.

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The trust has appointed expert leaders in every national curriculum subject. These specialist teachers are training and supporting subject leaders and teachers in every school in the trust. The curriculum in each subject is already successful, but it is improving rapidly under this expert guidance.

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In art and design, teachers provide high-quality examples of great artists and sculptors. In a Year 6 lesson, pupils demonstrated a mature appreciation of art, evaluating and analysing how the artist had used techniques to influence the mood of the painting, and how this made pupils feel. Pupils’ sketchbooks show the progression of their drawing skills as they use and apply their knowledge of different techniques to create effects such as light and shade. Their work is impressive.

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The curriculum is adapted effectively for pupils with SEND. Staff use the Picture Exchange Communication System to help pupils with education, health and care plans (EHC plans) to communicate, if they need this. For example, pupils indicate if they need the toilet by holding up that picture.

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The curriculum for pupils’ broader development is strong. Leaders listen to pupils’ views. For example, some pupils cannot attend the many after-school clubs on offer because they attend mosque school then. Leaders are planning to offer clubs at lunchtime as a result.

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Pupils are confident when recalling their learning about protected characteristics. On World Alzheimer’s Day, staff read the book 'The Forgettery' by Rachel Ip, about memory loss in old age and the changing relationship between a little girl and her grandma. The 16 and 17 May 2023

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Beatles track ‘In My Life’ was played during pupils’ reflection time. Leaders are contributing well to pupils’ personal character development.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make all the necessary safeguarding checks when recruiting staff.

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Safeguarding

The experienced designated safeguarding lead coaches and supports the large team of deputy safeguarding leaders. All leaders manage child protection concerns appropriately.

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Safeguarding

Staff in the specially resourced provision are vigilant. They observe the behaviour and presentation of non-verbal pupils carefully. They are trained to identify signs that may indicate that pupils are at risk of harm.

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Safeguarding

Multilingual staff translate disclosures that children make in their first language. This helps to keep pupils safe if they are at the early stages of learning to speak English as an additional language.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not attend school regularly. The rate of persistent absence is too high. This means that too many pupils miss out on their learning. Leaders should continue to work with parents to improve pupils’ attendance.  A few parents are dissatisfied with leaders’ response to complaints that they raise, or concerns that they share about pupils’ learning or behaviour. These parents are concerned that the issues they raise are not resolved. Leaders should engage stakeholders to ensure that all parents have confidence that their complaints or concerns will be handled well and issues are addressed and resolved.

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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 predecessor school, Crossley Hall Primary School, to be good in April 2016. 16 and 17 May 2023

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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. 16 and 17 May 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Crossley Hall Primary School converted to become an academy school in December 2018. When its predecessor school, Crossley Hall Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  This school belongs to the Pennine Academies Yorkshire multi-academy trust.  The headteacher has changed since the predecessor school’s last inspection. The new headteacher took up her post in April 2022.  This school is well above the average size.  More than half of pupils speak English as an additional language. This is well above the national average. The proportion of pupils with EHC plans is also well above the national average.  This school includes provision for two-year-olds. There are 26 places for two-year-old children. There are 46 places in the Nursery Year.  The school provides a specially resourced provision for 24 pupils with additional communication and interaction needs, including autism spectrum disorder. The

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Information about this school

enhanced provision welcomes pupils from across the primary age range. This provision is over-subscribed.  The school does not use alternative provision. 16 and 17 May 2023

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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 met with the headteacher and with the deputy and assistant headteachers. The lead inspector met with the special educational needs coordinator, the teacher in charge of the specially resourced provision and the inclusion manager for the trust.  A meeting was held with two trustees, including the chair. The lead inspector also met with the chief executive and the director of school improvement for the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading and phonics, art and design, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited lessons and evaluated samples of pupils’ work in the specially resourced provision.  The lead inspector visited the provision for two-year-old children and the Nursery Year with leaders.  The lead inspector met senior staff who lead the wider curriculum, including pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Pupils’ behaviour and safety were evaluated in lessons, in the dining room and on the playground.  The operations manager and the trust business manager met the lead inspector to discuss recruitment and safeguarding records. Senior safeguarding leaders discussed child protection cases. Leaders shared staff training records and risk assessments that ensure the safe moving and handling of disabled pupils.  The inspector reviewed responses to Ofsted Parent View and to the surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Tracey Ralph, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Rowena Sykes Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 May 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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