Rowley Lane Junior Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Rowley Lane Junior Infant and Nursery School Rowley Lane, Lepton, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD8 0JD

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Outcome

Rowley Lane Junior Infant and Nursery 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 at this school are caring and considerate towards others. They feel safe and look forward to coming to school. The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. These are realised. Behaviour in lessons and around school is positive. The school environment is calm and respectful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is committed to supporting pupils to be confident and well-rounded individuals. The school day is saturated with opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests. These extra-curricular clubs are wide-ranging and well attended.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take on leadership roles in school. These leadership roles provide pupils with meaningful opportunities to develop a sense of responsibility. Pupils take pride in the impact they have through these roles. For example, when ‘reading rockstars’ use their detailed knowledge about different authors to recommend books to reluctant readers. This successfully re-engages pupils and develops their love of reading.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. This covers essential areas such as swimming, fire and bike safety. Pupils also learn breathing exercises to support their well-being, helping them feel calm and happy. A recent visit from an inspirational athlete further reinforced these strategies, inspiring pupils’ confidence if they find themselves in new and challenging circumstances. 18 and 19 March 2025

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

The school prioritises the teaching of reading. This begins right from early years. Staff benefit from regular training that enables them to deliver phonics effectively. The school systematically checks pupils’ understanding and swiftly identifies those who require additional support. Pupils are provided with books that carefully match their phonics knowledge. This allows them to practise and build their reading fluency.

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

Early years offers a rich and engaging learning environment. The activities that children access are thoughtfully designed. These captivate children’s interest and precisely meet their learning needs. These meaningful learning experiences spark the children’s curiosity and deepen their understanding. The school has a well-structured and carefully considered curriculum that successfully builds on what the children learn in early years. For example, in music, children explore different instruments before recording patterns using the correct notation. By Year 6, pupils are creating compositions using different notes and instruments.

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

Staff use strong subject knowledge across the curriculum to introduce new concepts effectively. Adult interactions across the school are nurturing and skilfully extend learning. This supports language development throughout the school. In early years, children retell stories with enthusiasm. As pupils progress through the school, their responses grow in complexity, and they draw on prior learning to discuss and debate.

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

Positive attitudes to learning are evident across the school from early years to Year 6. The quality of work that pupils produce demonstrates their deep understanding. The school regularly checks what pupils understand. This information is used to identify any gaps in understanding. In most subjects, staff adjust the curriculum effectively to ensure that pupils get the chance to revisit any learning needed. This ensures that pupils continue to develop well in these subjects. However, in some foundation subjects, the checks that staff make are not as precise as they could be. This means that sometimes staff do not adjust teaching as swiftly as they might.

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

The school’s approach to supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is precise and carefully tailored to individual needs. This enables all pupils to successfully access a curriculum that is just right for them. The school’s inclusive approach fosters a positive and supportive environment where every pupil can thrive.

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

The school provides a comprehensive and well-structured personal development offer. This equips pupils with essential life skills. The supportive and enriching environment fosters pupils’ resilience and teamwork skills. Pupils demonstrate a strong understanding of different faiths and cultures. They recognise the importance of respect and inclusivity. They also show a clear awareness of online safety and understand what steps to take if they had concerns.

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

Leaders are measured and informed in their actions. They are committed, and school development is centred around what is best for pupils. Parents and carers are very positive about the school. The communication and collaboration between home and 18 and 19 March 2025

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school support pupils’ continued development. The school uses this relationship well, working together with parents to ensure the pupils attend regularly. Staff are extremely positive about school leaders. Staff are supported through effective training. Leaders carefully consider staff well-being and workload. Governance is a strength of the school. Governors understand and fulfil their role, supporting the school effectively to recognise impact and further ways to improve.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Processes for checking what pupils have learned and remembered are not yet fully developed across some foundation subjects. As a result, pupils’ misunderstandings may not be identified or addressed as effectively as they could be. The school needs to ensure its ongoing assessment of pupils is precise across subjects to support pupils in achieving well.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2015. 18 and 19 March 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). 18 and 19 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Andrew Berry and Neil Favager (co-chairs)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a breakfast club, overseen by the governing body.  The school does not currently 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 his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and members of the senior leadership team.  The inspector met with representatives of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 18 and 19 March 2025

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 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.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for pupils, staff and parents. This included any free-text responses in Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Andrew Yeomans, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 March 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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