Warwick Road Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Warwick Road Primary School Warwick Road, Batley, West Yorkshire WF17 6BS

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Outcome

Warwick Road Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming school where pupils are nurtured. Pupils develop empathy, compassion and respect. These attributes shine through the positive way pupils behave and the way they treat others. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and courteous. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are proud to wear the Warwick Road uniform. Staff and pupils alike speak of their pride in belonging to the school community. Pupils are confident to talk to staff. If pupils have worries, staff help them and keep them safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is broad and ambitious. Pupils are keen to do well. They understand the school’s mission to ‘exceed expectations’. They are curious and enthusiastic learners. From the early years, children develop the vocabulary and knowledge they need for future learning. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported with suitable resources and extra adult help when needed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a variety of after-school activities. These include music, multi-sports, design and technology and baking. Pupils hold positions of responsibility as members of the school council, subject ambassadors and librarians. They are active fundraisers for local, national and international charities. Pupils relish the trips and experiences the school provides. These include ‘enterprise’ activities, visiting the Houses of Parliament and watching an opera at Huddersfield Town Hall.

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

Since the last inspection, several new staff have joined the school. They bring improved expertise to the staff team. Leaders have refined the curriculum. There is renewed vigour to curriculum design and implementation. It is now clear for teachers how pupils’ build their knowledge and skills from the early years, in all curriculum subjects. Topics of learning are adapted to reflect the context of the school. 15 and 16 May 2024

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Teachers check often that pupils are remembering more of the curriculum. Pupils make connections in their learning. For example, in history, pupils develop their understanding of historical significance through learning about conflict and similarities and differences between the Ancient Greeks, Romans and Anglo-Saxons. Pupils develop subject-specific vocabulary. They achieve positive outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of their time at the school. They are well prepared to continue their learning at secondary school. Children in the early years enjoy a rich variety of learning experiences. They quickly grow in confidence and develop strong relationships with staff. They enjoy learning. Children acquire the knowledge and skills they need to equip them well for their learning in key stage 1.

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Reading is high priority for the school. The joy of reading is promoted from the early years. Children begin the phonics programme from the Nursery Year. Staff teach phonics well. When pupils struggle with reading, staff provide extra phonics teaching and tailored support. Pupils become fluent and confident readers. They appreciate the wide choice of books available in school. They enjoy reading in their cosy book corners. Typically, pupils speak excitedly about books and authors they enjoy.

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The number of pupils with SEND joining the school has increased. Leaders have not been complacent. They seek the support of external professionals. This helps the school to identify appropriate ways to support pupils when necessary. Specifically designed spaces in school have been created to support pupils’ social, emotional and mental health needs. Extra teaching and individual support are provided for pupils when needed. However, some teachers do not consistently make the adaptations necessary to ensure that pupils with SEND can access the curriculum as well as they could. This means that some pupils with SEND may not make the progress that they could in their learning.

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The majority of pupils attend well. Leaders liaise with external agencies, when necessary, to support pupils at risk of persistent absence. The school provides appropriate challenge and support to parents and carers to promote the importance of regular attendance and punctuality.

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The curriculum for pupils’ wider development is a strength of the school. Pupils learn how to cope with potential risks to their safety. They develop a thorough understanding of equality, relationships and individual liberty. They know that the opinions and beliefs of others should be treated with respect. Pupils learn to develop ‘happy minds’. They talk knowledgeably about the effect of stress on the human body and the ‘freeze, fight or flight’ response. Pupils enjoy a variety of enrichment activities including residential trips, visits to museums, musical performances and sporting competitions. They enjoy contributing to art exhibitions and taking part in competitions designed in partnership with local businesses. They like exploring lives different to their own through the ‘Carry My Story’ project.

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Staff enjoy working here. They are well supported to develop their expertise. Leaders are considerate of staff’s well-being and workload. Most parents and carers are positive about the school and speak highly of the ‘fantastic teachers’. 15 and 16 May 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the learning which teachers provide for pupils with SEND is not consistently well matched to their ability. This means that some pupils with SEND may not be achieving as well as they could. The school should continue to refine the curriculum and develop teachers’ expertise further so that they know how to match learning consistently well to meet the needs of pupils with SEND and help them to achieve their best.

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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 January 2015.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (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 15 and 16 May 2024

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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 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.warwickroad.kirklees.sch.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school offers nursery provision on a part-time or full-time basis, for children from the age of three.  The school does not use alternative providers of education.  The school provides breakfast and after-school care.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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 met with the headteacher, the acting deputy headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) who is also leader for the early years, the assistant SENCo, the school business manager, the well-being and mental health leader, the attendance officer, the chair of the governing body and some subject leaders. The 15 and 16 May 2024

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inspector also spoke on the telephone with a senior learning partner for the local authority.  The inspector met with some members of staff and some pupils.  Deep dives were undertaken into reading, history and art. The inspector looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons, spoke to teaching staff and some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector listened to some pupils reading to an adult.  The inspector spoke to leaders about the curriculum in geography and physical education and scrutinised a range of information relating to the school’s policies and procedures.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector 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.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for parents and carers and

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spoke with some parents at the end of the school day.

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Inspection team

Stephanie Innes-Taylor, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 15 and 16 May 2024

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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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