Carlton Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Carlton Primary School New Road, Carlton, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF3 3RE

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Outcome

Carlton Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from an effective quality of education at this welcoming school. Pupils enjoy lessons and have good relationships with staff. Staff think carefully about the best ways to help pupils learn. For example, pupils create elaborate models of medieval houses to understand life in the past. Children in early years learn about mental health and well- being by recreating a health spa facility. Most pupils make good progress through the curriculum and achieve well in published assessments.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave calmly. They feel safe and that adults care for them. Pupils learn to have high expectations and embody the school’s motto of ‘let your light shine’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular clubs. For example, they participate in performing arts, crafts, cookery, den building and football. Pupils develop their wider cultural experiences and resilience through these clubs and through different residential trips. For example, pupils experience a sleepover at school, a city break to York and a trip to an adventure centre.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their leadership positions. They talk about the impact they have had on the school. Pupil ‘eco-warriors’ have recently spent time redesigning and renovating the school’s wildlife area. ‘Happiness heroes’ promote happiness and support staff in making the school a happy place. This helps prepare them for life after school. 7 and 8 January 2025

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

Leaders have designed a curriculum that inspires pupils to learn. Pupils are immersed in creative ways of learning. They enjoy these exciting experiences and can relate them to their learning. For example, children in early years join a ‘space station’ crewed by staff astronauts and role play journeys into space. Pupils in history lessons learn how to mummify oranges and explain how the process was carried out by Ancient Egyptians.

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

Staff have strong subject knowledge. Pupils benefit from engaging lessons. Pupils review their learning regularly through ‘rocket retrieval’ tasks. This helps them to remember important knowledge. Teachers emphasise the practice of subject-specific vocabulary. For example, pupils are encouraged to ‘turn and talk’ to each other to connect information. As a result of this quality, pupils can confidently explain complex ideas such as the rise of the Tudor dynasty.

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

Teachers assess pupils’ learning effectively. Pupils confidently demonstrate their learning to the class and provide feedback to their peers. During the inspection, pupils corrected each other’s misconceptions on cubed numbers in mathematics. Children in early years debate the next shape in a sequence pattern. Pupils learn from feedback and improve their knowledge and skills as a result.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and or disabilities have their needs accurately identified. They are provided with the necessary adaptations in class to support their learning. Pupils with significant social, emotional and mental health needs receive tailored support through the school’s nurture provision. This enables them to access the curriculum and achieve well.

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

Pupils make positive progress through the curriculum. Children in early years rapidly acquire the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in Year 1. Pupils develop increasingly complex knowledge and skills as they progress through school. The school has taken action to enable older pupils to work at greater depth. This has begun to have an impact. Although more pupils are now achieving at higher standards, these changes are not fully embedded.

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

The school ensures that pupils develop a love of reading. Pupils enjoy daily stories that staff read. They talk with enthusiasm about their favourite books. They enjoy visiting the school library. Pupils who are weaker at reading receive swift intervention that helps them to improve.

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

The school has created a highly positive behavioural culture. Pupils are proud to have their name entered into the ‘book of brilliance’ for positive behaviour. Children in early years learn strong behavioural routines from the outset and how to manage their emotions. Most pupils attend school regularly. The school has effective strategies in place to improve the attendance of a small number of pupils. 7 and 8 January 2025

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Pupils develop a thorough understanding of life in modern Britain. Pupils can explain in detail how to keep themselves mentally and physically healthy. They learn about puberty and changes to their bodies and emotions. Pupils develop deep-rooted moral principles.

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Leaders have significantly developed the school’s provision and improved standards in a short space of time. Staff are united in a shared vision to provide pupils with the best possible education. Staff are well trained and supported by leaders. The school’s collaborative approach has reduced workload for staff. Governors have a keen understanding of the school. They provide incisive support and challenge to school leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Although improving, there are still occasions where pupils do not learn at the depth that they could. This limits aspects of achievement for some pupils, including in external assessments. The school should ensure that refinements to the curriculum are thoroughly embedded so that pupils learn in depth across all areas.

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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 February 2020. 7 and 8 January 2025

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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). 7 and 8 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently make use of any alternative provision.  The school provides a before-and after-school club for pupils.  The school is larger than an average-size primary school.

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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.  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. 7 and 8 January 2025

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 The inspector spoke to senior leaders, including the headteacher and members of the local governing body. The inspector spoke to a representative from the local authority.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also spoke with pupils about other aspects of the school, including behaviour and opportunities for personal development.  The inspector evaluated responses from parents to Ofsted’s online survey. The inspector also evaluated the responses that staff made to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Chris Carr, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 7 and 8 January 2025

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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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