Baildon Glen Primary School

Inspection of Baildon Glen Primary School Baildon, Thompson Lane, Shipley, West Yorkshire BD17 7LY

p.1

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

p.1

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.1

The head of school is Joanna Jackson. This school is part of Exceed Academies 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), Duncan Jacques, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Hearl Lenton. There is also an executive headteacher, Kirsty Hutchinson, who is responsible for this school and one other. 7 and 8 May 2025

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Baildon Glen Primary School has recently gone through a period of rapid improvement. The trust and leadership team have made many positive changes to the school. This includes increasing curriculum ambition and raising expectations of pupils’ behaviour. The curriculum is now broad, ambitious and well designed. However, some other changes are new, and leaders recognise there is more to do. These positive curriculum changes have not had enough time for their impact to be realised in pupils’ published outcomes.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at school. Many pupils are respectful, kind and considerate of others. Pupils know their teachers care about them. They say that bullying is rare, but that when it happens, teachers sort it out. Recent changes to the way staff deal with behaviour is reducing the frequency of incidents. However, too many pupils continue to disrupt the learning of others and make inappropriate language choices. When this happens, some pupils find this upsetting and worrying.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The recent introduction of the school’s ‘six ways to grow’ recognises pupils’ perseverance and effort with their learning. Through the behaviour points and stickers that they can earn, pupils are increasingly proud of their achievements. This is also reflected in the progress pupils are making with their learning.

p.2

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

Leaders have taken decisive action to improve the school. Those responsible for governance have an accurate picture of the school’s performance. Specialist advice is provided by the trust to support the school in achieving its ambitious goals. The success of this work is evident in the recent improvements to the early years and the support that the school provides for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils’ needs are quickly identified, and the school ensures that they get the help and support they need to learn with their peers.

p.2

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

The school has made positive changes to the curriculum. For example, in history, the order in which pupils learn new ideas has been carefully sequenced so that it builds on what they have been taught before. However, the checks that the school makes on how well pupils have understood what they have been taught are not fully effective. Consequently, the gaps pupils have in their knowledge are not addressed, and this hinders what they can remember. Sometimes, the expectations that the school has of pupils’ written work are too low. Inconsistencies in handwriting are not addressed well enough, and this impacts on the accuracy of pupils’ spelling.

p.2

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

Reading is prioritised. Pupils are benefitting from marked improvements in the reading curriculum and its teaching that are not reflected in published outcomes. Staff are highly trained and teach phonics well. This has led to improved achievement in phonics. Pupils who struggle with their reading get the extra help they need to catch up. Pupils apply their phonics knowledge to their writing with increased accuracy. However, some pupils are asked to complete complex writing tasks before they have secured basic punctuation. As a result, this hinders pupils’ learning and the quality of their writing. 7 and 8 May 2025

p.2

3

An enjoyment of stories starts in the early years, where learning opportunities build on books that staff have shared with children. Children in the early years learn in an exciting and engaging environment that is awash with books, rhymes and songs. The curriculum is rich in words and language. High-quality interactions with adults help children to grow their vocabulary. Adults motivate children to learn through the tasks they set them and the questions they ask. Traditional stories provide meaningful contexts for children’s early writing. For example, children apply their phonics knowledge to create missing ‘Gingerbread Man’ posters.

p.3

3

The school monitors attendance closely. It takes swift and appropriate action when pupils’ attendance declines. Working closely with parents and carers, the school helps to remove the barriers to attendance that families face. However, although attendance is improving, persistent absence remains too high for some groups of pupils. This means that they do not fully benefit from the improved curriculum and wider opportunities the school offers.

p.3

3

The personal, social and health education curriculum is enhanced and adapted so that pupils learn how to stay safe. Visits from the police have educated pupils on the dangers they may face in the local area. Visiting speakers during the recent themed week on ‘possibilities’ have helped to raise pupils’ aspirations and ambitions for their future. Older pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy and unhealthy relationships. This includes an understanding of consent.

p.3

3

Staff are supported well in their work. They are pleased with the many improvements that leaders have made and appreciate being consulted on these changes before they are implemented. Staff morale is high in this rapidly improving school.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s checks on pupils’ learning in some wider curriculum subjects are not fully in place. As a result, the school does not have a clear picture of how well pupils have learned and remembered the intended curriculum. This also means that gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not identified or addressed well enough. The school needs to refine its assessment approaches and ensure that teaching routinely and systematically identifies and addresses gaps in pupils’ knowledge.  The writing tasks that the school sets pupils sometimes require them to apply skills and knowledge, such as sentence construction, that they have not secured. This hampers the quality of pupils’ writing. The school should ensure that the school gives sufficient focus to sentence construction and the foundational knowledge pupils need to be able to write with greater fluency and accuracy. 7 and 8 May 2025

p.3

4

 Expectations of pupils’ written work are not consistently high enough. As a result, there are some inconsistencies in the quality of pupils’ written work and handwriting. The school should ensure that its high expectations of pupils’ written work are consistently understood and applied by all staff, in all curriculum areas.  The behaviour of pupils during lessons and at breaktimes is not consistently well addressed. When this happens, pupils’ learning is disrupted, and some pupils can be worried during social times. The school should ensure that all staff are supported to implement its revised approach to managing pupils’ behaviour consistently well so that learning is not disrupted.  The school’s attendance strategies are not reaching some pupils as well as others. For example, persistent absence for some disadvantaged pupils is too high. This means that some pupils miss out on important learning. Leaders must refine and focus their

p.4

4

approaches to working with parents to reduce persistent absence rapidly for disadvantaged pupils so that they can benefit fully from the curriculum improvements that the school has made.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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 May 2025

p.4

School details

Headteacher Kirsty Hutchinson (Executive headteacher) Joanna Jackson (Head of School) Website www.baildonglenacademy.co.uk

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.5

Information about this school

 Baildon Glen Primary School converted to become an academy school in May 2022. When its predecessor school, Glenaire Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate for overall effectiveness.  The school opened as a sponsor-led academy in May 2022 with Exceed Academies Trust.  The school runs a before- and after-school club.  At the time of the inspection, the school was not using any alternative provision.

p.5

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 7 and 8 May 2025

p.5

6

provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

p.6

6

 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 any continued 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 executive headteacher.  An inspector met with the chair of the local governing committee.  Inspectors held discussions with staff to consider their views.  Meetings were held with the vice chair of the trust and the CEO.  An inspector listened to pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and

p.6

6

looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also reviewed a selection of pupils’ work in English and wider curriculum subjects.  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.  An inspector spoke to parents at the start and end of the school day.  Inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.  To evaluate pupils’ behaviour, inspectors visited lessons, analysed behaviour records, met with groups of pupils and observed their play during lunchtime.

p.6

Inspection team

Chris Pearce, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Elaine Watson Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 May 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7