Darrington Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Darrington Church of England Primary School Denby Crest, Darrington, Pontefract, West Yorkshire WF8 3SB

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 October 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 22 and 23 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school where everyone shines in their own unique way. The core values of ‘peace, respect and friendship’ are at the heart of the school’s work. Pupils are polite and considerate to each other and with adults. They nominate other pupils for the ‘Recognition Board’, where achievements are celebrated.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is calm and orderly. Pupils are happy and safe here. Lessons are rarely disrupted. At social times, pupils cooperate and play well together. Some pupils lead games on the playground. Everyone has someone to talk to if they have a worry. Pupils say that adults help them to sort out friendship problems together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ spiritual and moral development is a strength. Children explore topical issues through ‘picture news’ and have the chance to discuss and debate current and world issues. Some pupils aspire to become ‘Worship Wonderers’ and lead worship in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand healthy relationships. They are beginning to understand equality and other important fundamental British values, such as democracy. Pupils feel that they have a voice through the school council. They write manifestos and take part in elections. They understand that everyone’s opinion counts.

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What is it like to attend this school?

New leaders at the school have brought about improvements to the quality of education. They are beginning to realise their ambitious plans. As a result, in subjects such as English and mathematics, pupils achieve well.

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

Ensuring everyone learns to read is a top priority. Adults value weekly coaching and regular training on how to teach phonics effectively. Books are well matched to the sounds pupils are learning. Pupils who need extra help receive the right support to catch up quickly.

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

In subjects such as history, English and mathematics, there are well considered curriculums in place. In these subjects, pupils learn the curriculum well. Teachers check what pupils know. They use this to routinely address gaps in understanding. As a result, pupils remember important knowledge over time and apply this to new learning. Some subject curriculums are very new. In these subjects, pupils have gaps in their knowledge and understanding. Because teachers are not clear on the most important knowledge pupils need to learn in these subjects, they do not always make the right checks. As a result, gaps in understanding and misconceptions are not routinely identified or addressed.

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

In the early years, the curriculum is well considered. Children benefit from a rich and varied curriculum. The provision is stimulating and exciting. As a result, children engage in activities with interest over time. For example, children role played pumpkin farmers, made clay pots and prepared apples for snacks. These activities enabled children to practise counting and explore texture. This helped them to build their knowledge in 22 and 23 October 2024

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mathematics and design technology. A ‘self-care station’ is available for pupils to clean up after play. This enables them to build independence.

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New school leaders have prioritised oracy and language development. In the early years, adults model and repeat important words. Children remember these and repeat them back. This helps them to develop and extend their vocabulary. Older pupils benefit from reading sessions, which also focus on building new vocabulary. Pupils explore unfamiliar words through talk. This helps them develop their understanding of complex vocabulary. They then apply their understanding to make sense of new texts.

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Most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. In early years, this is a significant strength. Across the school, there are high-quality interventions, which help pupils build their reading and writing skills. There is also a sensory room for pupils who need it. Mostly, teachers carefully ensure that learning meets the needs of everyone. This means all pupils build knowledge. However, this is not consistent across school.

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Pupils behave well. Lessons are rarely disrupted by poor behaviour. There are clear systems in place to manage behaviour and these are followed consistently. Relationships are strong between pupils and adults.

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Pupils understand important British values, such as tolerance and respect. They understand what healthy relationships look like. Pupils benefit from reading books which represent diverse Britain. For example, pupils spoke with interest about a story they had read about a refugee. This helps them to build an understanding of people who may be different from themselves.

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Staff are overwhelmingly happy and proud to work at this school. They say leaders take account of their workload. Governors make regular checks on the school’s work. They source external services to ensure that they get an independent view about the quality of education.

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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, curriculum thinking is new. In these subjects, pupils have legacy gaps which are not routinely picked up or addressed. This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they could in those subjects. The school should ensure that staff know exactly what key knowledge pupils need to master. They should identify gaps in pupils’ existing knowledge and address these and any misconceptions consistently. 22 and 23 October 2024

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 Some teachers are not confident in how to best to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This means that these pupils do not access lessons as well as their peers. The school should ensure that all teachers understand how to meet the needs of pupils with SEND so that everyone makes strong progress across the curriculum.

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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 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). 22 and 23 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 November 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a single academy trust.  The headteacher of the school is also the accounting officer for the single academy trust.  The headteacher is new since the last inspection.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school is a Voluntary Controlled Church of England School and had its last section 48 inspection in March 2023.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 22 and 23 October 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. They spoke with representatives from the diocese, the chair of governors and a wider group of governors. They also spoke with the school’s improvement partner.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education and art. 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 reviewed wider curriculum documentation, sampled work and spoke

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with pupils about their learning across a range of subjects.  Inspectors reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s survey for parents, Parent View and to the staff survey. They spoke with a range of staff during the course of the inspection and met parents at the gate before school.  Inspectors met with pupils. They spoke with pupils around school and on the playground at social times. They observed pupils’ movement around school.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation provided by the school, including improvement plans and minutes of the meetings of the governing body.  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.

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Inspection team

Natasha Greenough, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Trudi Bartle Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 October 2024

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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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