Cumberworth Church of England Voluntary Aided First School

Inspection of Cumberworth Church of England Voluntary Aided First School Cumberworth Lane, Upper Cumberworth, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD8 8NU

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 November 2024

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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

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since December 2013. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 12 and 13 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are starting to benefit from the changes that have been made to some parts of the curriculum. Although the curriculum is improving, pupils do not learn as well in some subjects as they do in others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff build positive relationships with pupils. Children and pupils are nurtured and cared for. The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pastoral support is a strength of the school. Pupils demonstrate respect to one another and to adults. One pupil captured the views of many in saying, ‘We are all unique and should always treat everyone the way you would like to be treated.’ This supportive atmosphere helps pupils to feel safe. The school’s ethos of putting the child and family at the heart of everything it does is central to the life of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Cumberworth Church of England School. There are a range of after- school clubs available, including many sporting clubs. The school has created close links with local schools to give pupils access to a wide range of sporting opportunities and competitions. Pupils say that they can go to any club and feel involved in the life of the school. The newly introduced school parliament gives pupils a voice to develop the school further. Pupils play together nicely at breaktimes and lunchtimes.

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

The school is on a journey of improvement. Leaders have focused on improving reading and the wider curriculum. There are signs of improvement but there is still further work to do. Reading is a priority as soon as the children start in Reception. The development of early reading has been an important priority this year. Pupils practise reading books that match the sounds they know. The school gives effective support for those who need additional help so that pupils catch up quickly. This helps pupils to read with increasing fluency. A love of reading is being promoted across the school. For example, the school celebrates World Book Day by enabling pupils to take part in a range of activities. These including a reading café for parents to read with their children and opportunities to learn more about authors.

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

The school is giving children a good start in Reception through the improvements that have been made. Staff help pupils to listen and pay close attention to what is said. Children are encouraged to offer their own opinions and express their own ideas. They learn in an environment that inspires their curiosity and builds their understanding of the world around them. Adults know the children well and support them when needed. The curriculum in the early years supports children in developing their communication and independence. They work and play cooperatively. For example, one child sensitively showed another child how to make a transformer robot and encouraged them by saying, ‘Come on, you can do it like this.’

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

The school has rightly identified that the wider curriculum is not as strong as it should be. In some subjects, the content of the curriculum is not as coherently sequenced as it is in others. Where this is the case, the school has not identified the most important 12 and 13 November 2024

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knowledge and skills that pupils need to know. This makes it difficult to prioritise the important information that pupils need to learn in lessons. In addition, in some foundation subjects the school does not use assessment well enough to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge. As a result, pupils do not learn or retain their knowledge sufficiently well in some foundation subjects over time.

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The school identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) accurately. Information about their needs is communicated effectively with staff. Staff use this information to make appropriate adaptations to activities and tasks. For example, some pupils benefit from ‘movement club’, where they can develop their fine and gross motor skills. The school fosters a nurturing approach towards pupils. The school has introduced initiatives to develop pupils’ ability to identify and manage their feelings and emotions. This is having a positive impact on pupils. Pupils with SEND are fully involved in the life of the school.

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Lessons are calm. The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and attendance. Pupils attend well. Clear routines are established across the school. Pupils are aware of the school rules. Leaders, staff and pupils create a positive, respectful and caring environment. If issues arise, pupils say that staff help them to resolve them. Pupils know they can talk to a trusted adult.

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The significant changes to the core curriculum have affected staff workload but this has been managed well. Leaders know there is still more work to do, including supporting leaders at all levels to lead, adapt and further improve the curriculum offer for all pupils. The school is working to ensure that leaders at all levels contribute to school improvement. Governors know the school’s priorities for improvement well. They offer the support and challenge needed to help the school to improve further. Staff say they appreciate this support.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the school has not identified and sequenced the important knowledge that pupils need to understand. This means pupils do not learn the important knowledge needed over time in these subjects. The school should further strengthen the curriculum so that pupils learn equally well across all foundation subjects.  In some subjects, the school does not check pupils’ understanding well enough. This means that gaps in learning and misconceptions are not consistently identified and addressed. The school should work with staff to better check pupils’ understanding. 12 and 13 November 2024

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 In some foundation subjects, the school does not have a secure understanding of how well the intended curriculum is being implemented. Where this is the case, it makes it more difficult to check the impact of the curriculum and identify potential areas for improvement. The school should work with staff to enhance subject and pedagogical knowledge to improve the oversight and implementation of the curriculum in foundation subjects.

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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). 12 and 13 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.cumberworthfirstschool.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 December 2013, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been changes to the leadership of the school since the last inspection, including the headteacher and members of the governing body.  The school has a Christian ethos. It is part of the Diocese of Leeds. The last section 48 inspection at the school was in February 2019.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 12 and 13 November 2024

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 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 held meetings with the headteacher, other leaders and staff.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair.  Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils about their views of the school.  The lead inspector spoke by telephone to a representative from the diocese.  The lead inspector met with an external improvement adviser.  Inspectors considered information on pupils’ behaviour, attendance and personal development.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and computing. For each deep dive, they held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and

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looked at samples of work.  The lead inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors observed behaviour at unstructured times, including breaktime and lunchtime.  The lead inspector met with parents and carers to discuss their views of the school.  Inspectors considered responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View. This included free-text comments. Inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the lead 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’ safety first.

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Inspection team

Kerry Partington, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sam O’Brien Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 November 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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