Diamond Wood Community Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Diamond Wood Community Academy North Road, Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire WF13 3AD

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 October 2024

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Outcome

Diamond Wood Community Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Sally Titherington. This school is part of Enhance 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), Mark Randall, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Peter Townley.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have created an environment of calm and consistency for pupils in this school. Pupils are safe, eager to learn and enthusiastic about their education. Pupils are proud of their work and their achievements in the curriculum. Pupils begin their work with excitement and focus. They are taught to be resilient learners who persevere when what they are learning becomes more difficult.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children from the early years are taught to understand and follow the school rules and to value their education. Pupils understand the new school rules that have been recently introduced. Pupils understand that these rules are important, not just for school life, but for outside school as well. Staff have fostered strong relationships with pupils. These relationships are rooted in respect and care.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for what pupils, including those in the early years, can achieve. These expectations are consistently realised through the teaching of an ambitious curriculum. Children in the early years experience a carefully constructed curriculum that gives them the skills and knowledge to be well prepared for their education in key stage 1 and beyond. 15 and 16 October 2024

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

The school quickly and accurately identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These children, and other pupils with SEND across the school, receive the right support to be successful in their learning. This identification begins in the early years. Children who need more help with their learning are skilfully supported by knowledgeable staff. The curriculum gives pupils the knowledge, experiences and vocabulary that they need to be successful. The early years curriculum is designed to help children be thoroughly prepared for their learning in the curriculum in key stage 1. In some parts of the curriculum, pupils who need help with reading are asked to write words that are too difficult for them. This can hinder their achievement.

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

The school has ensured that there is a sharp focus on developing pupils’ communication and language skills. Staff support children in the early years to articulate their feelings and learning. Children become increasingly confident communicators. Through the phonics curriculum, the school has ensured that pupils quickly become fluent readers. Pupils who need support with reading are quickly identified. Leaders have ensured that the teaching of phonics begins as early as possible in Reception. Staff read to pupils on a regular basis. This includes in the early years, where children frequently experience a range of stories and rhymes that develop their understanding of language.

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

The school has secured consistent improvement in pupils’ attendance over time. Attendance is seen by staff as everybody’s responsibility. Leaders at all levels prioritise continuing to improve pupils’ attendance. More pupils are now in school more often as a result of the school’s actions. Parents and carers are aware of the continued focus the school has on attendance. The school has identified which pupils are not in school often enough. However, some of the school’s systems for checking which pupils need more urgent support with attendance are not as robust as they could be.

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

The school has crafted a broader development offer for pupils that is designed to support them to understand the wider world and themselves. This begins in the early years where staff teach children to understand the importance of eating healthy snacks. Staff ensure that pupils have a strong understanding of groups in society who face prejudice. Pupils talk about this in a mature and reflective way. Staff promote the importance of maintaining positive mental health to pupils. Pupils develop strategies to help them manage their own emotions. They benefit from a range of educational visits that enrich their learning in the curriculum.

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

The trust has robust systems that give those responsible for governance a clear picture of what the school could do to improve. Leaders at all levels have an accurate view of the school. Leaders speak with one voice about their ambitions for pupils. Staff feel involved and valued. Their workload and well-being are considered by leaders. The school’s actions are focused on continuing to help pupils achieve as well as possible. The school has ensured that leaders have regular opportunities to check on how well subjects are being taught and how well pupils are learning. 15 and 16 October 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 parts of the curriculum, pupils who need help with reading are asked to write words that are beyond their current level of phonics knowledge. This stops them from being as successful as they could be in retaining some important knowledge and vocabulary. The school should ensure that staff are supported to understand the best way to help lower attaining readers with their writing in all parts of the curriculum.  Some of the school’s systems for analysing the attendance of pupils do not give a clear view of which pupils need more immediate support with attendance. This means that some of the school’s actions around improving attendance are not as focused as they could be on the group of pupils whose attendance is poor. The school should ensure that its systems clearly highlight which pupils and families need more immediate support around attendance.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in April 2019. 15 and 16 October 2024

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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). 15 and 16 October 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 3 and 4 April 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The substantive headteacher, named in this report, was not present when inspectors visited the school.  The school is part of Enhance Academy Trust.  The school has a nursery provision for three year olds.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 15 and 16 October 2024

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector spoke to the interim head of school, the special educational needs coordinator and other senior leaders.  The inspector spoke to the chair of the governing body and other governors.  The inspector spoke to trustees and the chief executive officer.  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 children’s interests first.  The inspector examined a range of school documents relating to behaviour, attendance and governance, as well as leaders’ self-evaluation of the school.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View,

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and the results of Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Liam Colclough, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 15 and 16 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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