Heaton Avenue, A Share Primary Academy

Inspection of Heaton Avenue, A Share Primary Academy South Parade, Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire BD19 3AE

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The head of this school is Sarah Quinn. This school is part of Share Multi 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 (CEO), John McNally, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Daniel Quinn. There is also an executive headteacher, Lauren McCaffrey, who is responsible for this school and three others. 21 and 22 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Heaton Avenue are happy and safe. The school’s behaviour policy clearly demonstrates the stages of consequences and rewards. Pupils and staff understand the traffic light system and behaviour is starting to improve. The school uses pupil leadership roles, such as playground buddies and school ambassadors, to exemplify good behaviour. In some lessons, pupils do not display behaviours that are conducive for effective listening and learning. Some adults do not intervene swiftly enough to address this disengagement.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There have been significant changes to the school’s leadership this year. There is a palpable determination to ensure that pupils experience a high-quality education. Following a review of the curriculum, the school has redesigned its curriculum structure this academic year. The school has ensured its curriculum better meets the needs of the pupils. However, this curriculum development is at an early stage.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school fosters pupils’ character through its aim for them ‘to be good humans’. Adults support pupils to resolve conflict, and to become independent and resilient.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides pupils with many opportunities for educational visits that enhance the revised curriculum. Pupils enthusiastically recall memorable visits to an agricultural show and a local wildlife park.

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better?

The school has taken decisive action to ensure that all subjects in the wider curriculum are sequenced and progressive. The progress outcomes for key stage 2 in 2023 do not reflect the quality of the revised curriculum. The school recognises that it is too soon to see the impact of the curriculum changes on what pupils remember over time.

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better?

The school has considered the important knowledge pupils need to learn, and in which order. However, pupils currently have an insecure knowledge base to build on. While pupils can talk about what they are presently learning, some pupils do not recall or make connections with what they have previously learned.

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better?

The school checks pupils’ work during the lesson. The quality of the work that pupils produce is variable. For example, some books indicate a lack of pride and care from pupils. The school has implemented ‘non-negotiables’ in some subjects, such as in mathematics, where pupils have one digit in each square in their exercise books. However, this is not consistently applied.

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better?

The school has rightly prioritised the teaching of phonics and early reading. It introduced a new phonics programme in January 2024. Some reading books match the sounds that pupils know. The school checks the sounds that pupils know regularly. However, leaders recognise that they need to gain a more comprehensive understanding of pupils’ achievement to ensure the lesson content matches the needs of the pupils. Pupils in key stage 1 have two phonics sessions a day. Although 21 and 22 May 2024

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they are supported by an adult in a smaller group, pupils who are not keeping up with the phonics programme have the same phonics offer as those who are on track. This is not helping them to catch up quickly.

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Teachers use mathematical vocabulary and target questions to support pupils’ mathematical understanding. However, pupils frequently disengage from mathematical learning. Staff do not interject swiftly enough to prevent lost learning time. In response to the low Year 4 outcomes in the 2023 multiplication tables check, the school has initiated a new arithmetic long-term plan to focus on basic number bonds and multiplication facts. While pupils confirm this session happens, they do not know if they are doing well or which times tables need further practice. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities have access to resource packs and adapted tasks. This helps them successfully access the mathematics curriculum.

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There are high aspirations for children in the early years. The school is transitioning to implement a new early years curriculum structure from September 2024. There are many opportunities for communication and language development in the environment. However, some interactions do not support children to acquire new vocabulary. Practitioners support children with some activities. It is unclear how a Nursery or Reception-age child knows what to do in activities when there is not an adult present.

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There is a whole-school approach to teaching about healthy relationships. Pupils speak positively about their puberty lessons. The school’s new curriculum includes links to fundamental British values, protected characteristics, diversity and world faiths. However, at the point of inspection, pupils struggled to talk about these aspects.

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The trust has a clear oversight of the strengths of this school and its areas for improvement. The staff fully support the school leaders and the recent changes to the curriculum. Some parents and carers feel the school has not clearly communicated these necessary changes. The school recognises that there is a need to strengthen relationships with families.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum has not enabled pupils to build knowledge and skills over time. This means pupils struggle to make links with what they have previously learned. The school should make sure that its new, revised curriculum is embedded securely to enable pupils to learn well across all areas of the curriculum. 21 and 22 May 2024

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 Phonics teaching is not aligned to what some pupils know. This means that the content of lessons does not meet the needs of some pupils. The school should ensure that its mechanism for checking what pupils know securely informs its phonics teaching.  Some aspects of personal development are not as well developed as others. This means some pupils’ knowledge is less secure around aspects such as British values, protected characteristics and world religions. The school should ensure that it considers more opportunities for pupils to develop their understanding in these areas.  The quality of work pupils produce is variable. As a result, some pupils do not take care or pride over their presentation. The school should ensure its non- negotiables for presentation are adhered to.  The school has not communicated the changes in the school’s curriculum thinking and procedures to its families. This means parents are unclear about what their

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child is learning, preventing them from supporting their child effectively at home. The school should strengthen relationships with its parental community and ensure communication is clear.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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 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). 21 and 22 May 2024

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CEO of the trust

Dates of previous inspection 2 and 3 February 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school joined the Share Multi Academy Trust in April 2015. There is a joint local governing body across this school and a neighbouring trust primary school.  There have been significant staffing changes since the last inspection.  The executive headteacher was appointed in October 2023.  The head of school was appointed in April 2024.  The school does not use any alternative providers.  The school has nursery provision for three-year-old children.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 21 and 22 May 2024

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the head of the school, curriculum leaders, staff and pupils.  Meetings were also held with representatives of the local governing body, the CEO and trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and history. 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.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum structure in geography.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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

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culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The views of parents, staff and pupils were considered from meeting with them and from the responses to Ofsted’s questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Alison Stephenson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Louise Greatrex Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 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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