Castleford Three Lane Ends Academy

Inspection of Castleford Three Lane Ends Academy Methley Road, Castleford, West Yorkshire WF10 1PN

p.1

Inspection dates: 15 and 16 November 2023

p.1

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

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Delyth Roberts. The school is part of Castleford Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, George Panayiotou, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Adam Fletcher. 15 and 16 November 2023

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff at Castleford Three Lane Ends Academy have high expectations of pupils. Castleford Academy Trust support this ambition. Pupils are happy and feel safe. In lessons, such as art and history, pupils work purposefully. They remember what they have been taught in previous lessons. In discussion and debates, pupils converse well. They are polite and respectful to each other. Behaviour is calm and orderly.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are honoured to be nominated for a ‘PRIDE’ award by their peers. Pupils present their work in books well. They take on responsibility and show independence. All members of the school community embrace equality of opportunity. Pupils are in admiration of the significant figures in history they have studied, such as the suffragettes. Pupils can explain about the injustice experienced by these groups.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides many opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests. Pupils enjoy attending clubs after school, such as choir and art. Staff link educational trips and visits to curriculum topics that the pupils study. A trip to a zoo, for example, helped pupils to remember more about the rainforest. Pupils enjoy their annual residential, where they work as a team and learn how to complete tricky tasks.

p.2

better?

The school has a well-designed curriculum. Leaders have carefully considered learning steps that build to ambitious end points. Staff provide pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) with the same ambitious curriculum as other pupils. Staff provide these pupils with adaptions in lessons, such as specialist equipment that helps them to access learning. The trust has provided training to help develop curriculum leaders’ understanding of school improvement. Curriculum leaders are able to explain the curriculum structure with confidence. They check that teachers deliver their subject consistently well.

p.2

better?

The school has established systems to check what pupils know and understand. In subjects such as mathematics, teachers use these systems well to identify gaps in learning. However, this is not the case in all subjects.

p.2

better?

Curriculum leaders have recently evaluated and made changes to the school’s approach to teaching phonics. Teachers acknowledge the positive benefit of these changes. The teaching of early reading is consistent. All adults follow the school’s phonics programme and teach phonics appropriately. Pupils read books that contain the sounds that they know. Individual phonics tutoring is in place for pupils who are catching up in reading. Leaders celebrate reading in many ways across the school. Pupils enjoy listening to their teacher read the class reading book.

p.2

better?

The curriculum in the early years is well organised and logically sequenced. Teachers know and use the vocabulary that they want children to learn. Staff use songs in the 15 and 16 November 2023

p.2

3

classroom routines to help children learn this vocabulary. Staff design learning activities well to help children build the knowledge and skills they need for later learning. For example, children could talk about the poppies they were making for Remembrance Day and what these represented. In the outdoor environment, children independently make courses to run through. Children concentrate well on tasks when working in small groups and independently. They cooperate well together.

p.3

3

The high quality of education that pupils receive is not reflected in the outcomes at the end of Year 6 achieved last year. These pupils did not benefit from more recent changes to systems, such as the improved teaching of early reading.

p.3

3

Pupils benefit from the school’s personal development programme. This supports pupils’ well-being. Pupils know how to treat others respectfully, irrespective of difference. Pupils have knowledge of different faiths and can make comparisons between religious celebrations. Through student elections, they have learned the importance of voting. Pupils learn to stay safe online, ride a bicycle safely and know how to stay safe when crossing the road.

p.3

3

The school has worked with local partners to improve the systems to check pupils’ attendance. This work has had a positive impact on most pupils. Leaders continue to work on further improving those pupils who do not regularly attend.

p.3

3

The chief executive officer, trustees and governors have been key partners in reshaping the strategic direction of the school, which has rapidly improved in all areas. The trust has worked alongside school leaders to drive timely and sustainable improvements. Governors and trustees perform the required statutory duties with care. They hold senior leaders to account effectively. Teachers feel that leaders consider their needs and prioritise their well-being.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not developed an accurate and consistent system to check what pupils know. This means that teachers cannot accurately identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge or misconceptions in pupils’ learning in all subjects. Leaders should ensure that a consistent system is in place that helps teachers to purposefully check what pupils do and do not know across the breadth of the curriculum.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted 15 and 16 November 2023

p.3

4

Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

p.4

4

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with SEND; pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 15 and 16 November 2023

p.4

School details

Date of previous inspection 11 May 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is part of Castleford Academy Trust.  The school does not use alternative provision.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, curriculum leaders and other staff. They reviewed a range of documentation.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, English, mathematics, history and art. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the 15 and 16 November 2023

p.5

6

curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at sample of pupils’ work.  For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including any free-text responses. Inspectors talked to pupils to gather their views on school life. They also talked to parents.

p.6

Inspection team

Lesley Allwood, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Gordon Watts Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 November 2023

p.6

7

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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7