Wakefield Snapethorpe Primary School

Inspection of Wakefield Snapethorpe Primary School St George's Road, Lupset, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF2 8AA

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding 25 and 26 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff are ambitious for the pupils of Wakefield Snapethorpe Primary School. They have high expectations for what pupils can learn and achieve. These expectations are not fully realised. The school is working hard to further develop the curriculum and improve the quality of teaching for all pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In lessons, pupils behave well. They are calm and settled. Pupils respond well to staff’s clear and consistent expectations of their behaviour. Around the school, pupils hold doors open. They are polite and welcoming. Pupil ‘door monitors’ help to encourage sensible behaviour at playtime and lunchtime. Positive relationships underpin the school’s culture. Because of this, pupils feel happy and safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from positions of responsibility in classrooms and beyond. They relish these roles in which they contribute positively to the life of the school. For example, reading ambassadors have exciting plans to refurbish the library with a jungle theme. Pupils are respectful and tolerant of others. They respect the views of others and know that discriminatory behaviour and language are unacceptable.

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better?

After a period of significant instability and changes to leadership, the school is improving. This is a result of high ambition and determination from staff. In 2023, pupils’ levels of attainment at the end of both key stage 1 and 2 were low. The school has responded with urgency. It has improved assessment processes, revised the curriculum and focussed on improvements in reading, writing and mathematics. These strategies are yet to have the intended impact. For instance, pupils have not developed their geographical skills through fieldwork. In art, pupils’ work in collage does not build on their previous learning. Teachers are not consistently identifying and addressing gaps in pupils’ learning.

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better?

There is a strong curriculum for mathematics. It follows a clear sequence. Pupils build their knowledge well from the early years. Pupils report that they enjoy mathematics. Teachers ensure that pupils relate their learning to ‘real world’ contexts. Lessons have a consistent structure. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. They access the same ambitious mathematics curriculum as their peers.

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better?

Reading is a high priority. Reading areas in classrooms are attractive, inviting and help to foster a love of reading. Reading lessons are focused and engaging. Adults model reading well, using pace and intonation. Pupils at the early stages of reading learn the sounds that letters make in daily lessons. However, there is some inconsistency in the teaching of phonics and in adults’ approaches to support pupils when reading aloud. Sometimes, adults do not correct pupils’ mistakes. Sometimes, they do not encourage pupils to apply their knowledge of phonics. 25 and 26 June 2024

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Children in early years enjoy a caring and nurturing environment. Relationships with adults are strong and positive. Children develop confidence and independence. They welcome opportunities to talk about their learning with visitors. They play and learn cooperatively. The early years curriculum follows a clear sequence. Children build their knowledge well from the moment they start in Nursery. The school adapts the curriculum and learning activities for children with SEND. This means that children with SEND can access all areas of learning. Children have a range of opportunities to develop early mathematical skills. They know rules and can take turns. Adults support them well. They are skilful in intervening and moving on children's learning.

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Pupils, including those with SEND, benefit from high quality pastoral support. Skilled staff support pupils to remain focused on tasks. When pupils struggle to regulate their behaviour, staff support them well. For example, pupils may access the well- being garden to help manage their emotions. Pupils’ attendance remains a concern. Too many pupils do not attend school regularly enough. The school has introduced rigorous systems to monitor and track attendance. These systems are helping the school to identify and address low attendance more strategically.

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The school has carefully planned enrichment opportunities beyond the classroom. These include visits from authors, trips to museums. Pupils learn about significant local history through a trip to the nearby National Coal Mining Museum. There is a wide range of extra-curricular clubs for pupils to develop their talents and interests. These include choir, African drumming, animal club and sports clubs.

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Leaders, governors and staff are relentless in their commitment to continue improving the experience of pupils at the school. The school values all staff. Leaders are supportive and approachable. They are mindful of workload and prioritise staff well-being. Governors are unafraid to challenge leaders, when appropriate.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are inconsistencies in the quality of phonics teaching. Staff do not address gaps in pupils’ phonic knowledge with enough rigour. As a result, pupils are not becoming accurate and fluent readers as soon as they should. This hinders their ability to access the school’s curriculum. The school should build on recent improvements to its phonics programme and ensure that phonics is taught and assessed effectively, so that pupils become confident and fluent readers as soon as possible.  In some subjects, gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not consistently identified and addressed. When this happens, pupils build their knowledge less securely than 25 and 26 June 2024

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they do elsewhere in the curriculum. The school should carry out further work so that pupils’ knowledge builds securely over time.  School attendance is low for some pupils, including those who are disadvantaged. Low attendance means that these pupils are missing out on important learning for their future. The school should ensure that its ongoing work with pupils and families leads to improvements in attendance, so that all pupils attend school regularly.

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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). 25 and 26 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 June 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The interim headteacher took up post in October 2023.  The deputy headteacher took up post in September 2023.  The school has Nursery provision for three-year-old children.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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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.

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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. 25 and 26 June 2024

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders. They also met with members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority and a representative of the diocese.  Inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, the pupils’ survey and the staff survey. Inspectors spoke informally with parents at the end of the school day.  During the inspection, inspectors met with groups of pupils, both formally and during less-structured parts of the day.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single

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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.

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Inspection team

Dughall McCormick, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Andy Taylor Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 June 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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