Cornholme Junior, Infant and Nursery School

Cornholme Junior, Infant and Nursery School

Address: Greenfield Terrace, Cornholme, Todmorden, West Yorkshire, OL14 8PL Unique reference number (URN): 107521

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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This school requires special measures

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to provide an acceptable standard of education, and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Early years Expected standard

With support from external partners, leaders have secured purposeful and successful improvements to the early years provision. Staff provide nurturing, well-designed learning activities that help children begin school confidently and happily. They work closely with parents and carers to keep children safe and meet their needs.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff know children well, hold high expectations and focus on children’s language development, modelling vocabulary and sharing a range of stories, songs and rhymes. As a result, children become increasingly articulate. In the Reception Year, children build secure phonics knowledge and develop essential reading and mathematics skills. Staff reinforce early writing skills by emphasising physical development and correct pencil grip.

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Early years Expected standard

From the Nursery Year, children learn to take turns, be physically active and become increasingly independent. Staff promote children’s personal, social and emotional development effectively. They encourage children to be kind and independent. Children follow routines confidently, behave well and enjoy talking about their learning. Most make positive gains in their learning from their individual starting points. Staff adapt teaching for disadvantaged children and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They check learning carefully and provide targeted support so children can keep up with the curriculum. Children are increasingly well prepared for Year 1 by the end of the Reception Year.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

In recent years, pupils' attendance rates have been below national averages. Too many pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not attend school regularly. Leaders have identified the reasons and track pupils' individual attendance closely. When some pupils are persistently absent, leaders are proactive in offering support and putting in place strategies to ease pupils' anxieties and help them to attend school more regularly. Leaders provide guidance for parents and carers and commission external professional help when needed. This work is beginning to have a positive impact and the attendance of individual pupils is starting to improve. However, it is too early to tell if the improvements will be sustained over time. Improving pupils' behaviour has taken up much of leaders' time in recent years. With external support, leaders have been successful in ensuring consistency in staff's approach

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

to behaviour management. This has resulted in a calm environment where pupils are ready to learn. As a result, incidents of poor behaviour are beginning to reduce and there has been a decrease in the number of pupils suspended from school.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

The school is a nurturing place where relationships between staff and pupils are warm and respectful. From the early years onwards, pupils learn to behave well and have positive attitudes to learning. Bullying is rare. Staff deal with any poor behaviour consistently and effectively. When some pupils struggle to understand their emotions and manage their behaviour, staff provide well-considered and personalised support.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders identify pupils’ needs and barriers to learning and wellbeing effectively. However, the support for pupils’ learning needs is less effective. Staff understand the barriers that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities face, but they do not know how to address these through precise, high ‑ quality teaching. Leaders have not provided staff with the training needed to anticipate or remove barriers to learning in the classroom.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders identify strategies for staff to use in lessons, but they do not check whether these are implemented as intended or improving pupils’ access to learning. As a result, the effectiveness of the support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is inconsistent. It lacks the precision required to secure their progress through the curriculum.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders do not make the most of the pupil premium funding to improve the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. They place too little emphasis on strengthening teaching to meet these pupils’ needs well.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders actively seek external professional advice to shape strategies to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This has the most impact on pupils with social, emotional and behavioural needs. These pupils benefit from skilled pastoral care and the calming, tailored provision provided by staff in the new ‘hub’. This helps pupils with high anxiety and sensory needs to be calm and access learning. However, support for these pupils’ learning needs is less effective.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

The school has a coherent personal, social, health and economic education curriculum that includes statutory content and shows how pupils’ knowledge should develop from the early years onwards. However, teachers do not teach the curriculum content often enough or in sufficient depth for pupils to recall and apply their knowledge securely. Leaders have not checked that their approach to supporting pupils' personal development is having the intended positive impact and preparing pupils for life beyond school in the best possible way.

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Urgent improvement

Themes such as fundamental British values and respect for diversity run throughout the curriculum. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including online safety and road safety. They know about the risks of drug and alcohol abuse. Leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through the curriculum, assemblies and themed days.

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Urgent improvement

The school offers a small range of clubs and occasional externally provided activities such as 'pom dance', orchestra and multi ‑ skills. Leaders encourage and track participation for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They ensure these pupils can access these opportunities. Some pupils learn instruments, sing in the choir and take part in sports competitions with local schools. Older pupils enjoy their annual residential experiences. From the early years, all pupils learn how to ride a bike. Pupils enjoy the activities available, but trips, visitors and wider curriculum experiences are limited and do not provide a rich personal development offer. Leaders recognise this and are seeking to broaden the provision.

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Urgent improvement

The school has worked hard to develop a culture where pupils feel accepted and nurtured as part of the Cornholme school community. Pupils' pastoral needs are met well by caring staff. Leaders provide well-considered support for families and ensure that pupils feel safe and secure in school.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Leaders do not ensure that pupils achieve well or are sufficiently prepared for secondary school. Pupils' attainment by the end of Year 6 remains consistently below the national averages, with little sign of improvement. Current pupils are not developing the essential knowledge and skills they need in reading, writing and mathematics. They are not well prepared for secondary school.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Teachers do not identify or address gaps in pupils’ knowledge effectively. These gaps persist, preventing pupils from building secure understanding across subjects. Many pupils lack the reading skills needed to access the wider curriculum confidently. In addition, they do not develop the fluency in the basic number facts required to solve problems and reason mathematically.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

The proportion of pupils who met the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check improved in 2025. This is because leaders strengthened phonics teaching. Current pupils, including children in the early years, benefit from the school’s precise approach and consistent use of the phonics programme.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Leaders do not have an accurate understanding of the quality of the curriculum or how it is taught. This means that weaknesses in pupils’ learning are not addressed quickly enough. The curriculum is coherent and progressive but teachers are not supported well enough to develop the expertise that they need to deliver it effectively. As a result, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not receive a high-quality education. Teachers do not know how to make the necessary adaptations to their teaching to meet pupils’ learning needs with precision and accuracy.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Across subjects, teaching does not consistently build pupils’ knowledge over time. Pupils' misconceptions are not addressed effectively. Gaps in pupils’ basic number knowledge limit their readiness for more complex learning. Pupils’ writing is weak across the school. Although the teaching of early transcription skills is improving, the new approach is recent and not embedded across all classes and subjects.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Phonics teaching is increasingly precise, enabling more pupils to read by the end of Year 1. However, pupils in Year 2 who did not meet the expected standard in the phonics screening check continue to struggle with their phonics knowledge. Older pupils who have not benefited from the improved approach to phonics have significant gaps in decoding words and reading fluently and with comprehension. This limits their access to the wider curriculum.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders and governors have failed to prioritise improvements to the curriculum and teaching to ensure that pupils learn well. They have acted too slowly to address weaknesses identified at the last inspection and they have an inaccurate understanding of the quality of education that the school provides. Governors have not ensured that current pupils receive high-quality teaching or that all pupils achieve their best. They have not taken the right actions to improve pupils' achievement and ensure that current pupils, by the end of Year 6, are well prepared for learning at secondary school.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The school presently has limited capacity to improve. In recent years, leaders and governors have spent much of their time dealing with staffing turbulence, improving pupils’ behaviour, restructuring classes and year groups, and managing financial concerns. However, they have not recognised the full extent of the weaknesses in pupils’ education. Leaders have relied on external support to drive improvement. Some of this support has helped to improve phonics teaching and strengthen early years provision successfully. However, this support has not been used well enough to ensure that weaknesses in teaching are addressed with sufficient urgency to raise academic standards.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Staff are a close-knit team who enjoy working at the school. Leaders are considerate of their workload and wellbeing. However, staff's professional development is not suitably focused on making rapid improvements to curriculum and teaching.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils at this school do not achieve as well as they should. Over the last 3 years, the attainment of all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, has been below the national average. Leaders are not ensuring that current pupils gain essential knowledge and skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Teaching varies in quality. Staff do not consistently address gaps in pupils’ knowledge or identify the barriers that limit their learning. As a result, many pupils leave the school without the secure understanding that they need, including in their personal, social, health and economic education. This leaves them less prepared for secondary school than they should be. Across key stages 1 and 2, a significant number of pupils struggle to access the curriculum and learn well.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils’ attendance has been low for several years. Some pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are persistently absent. Although leaders are currently taking suitable steps to bring about improvement, it is too early to see sustained impact.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

The school is small and friendly. Staff greet pupils warmly each morning. From the early years onwards, caring staff give pupils a reassuring start to the day. Pupils benefit from the school’s nurturing approach, which helps them feel safe, well cared for and valued. Staff provide consistent guidance that helps pupils follow established routines and meet the high expectations for behaviour. Pupils generally behave well and have positive attitudes to learning. Staff know pupils well. Relationships across the school are respectful and supportive. Bullying is rare. Leaders do not tolerate discrimination.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Children in the early years make a positive start to school. Staff work closely with parents, carers and external professionals to identify and address barriers to children’s learning and development. Pupils of all ages receive appropriate support for their social, emotional and mental health needs. They enjoy taking part in lunchtime and after-school activities. Older pupils look forward to residential experiences.

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Next steps

• Leaders should support teachers to develop their expertise so that teaching is high quality and assessment strategies are used effectively to help pupils overcome barriers to learning and meet the needs of all pupils. • Leaders should ensure that pupils develop secure curriculum foundational knowledge and that teachers address gaps in learning effectively so that pupils progress through the curriculum and achieve well. • Leaders should monitor and evaluate the school's provision and the impact of the strategies that are used to support pupils to learn and make swift changes when necessary to help pupils to do their best. • Leaders should ensure that attendance rates for all pupils improve and persistent absence reduces so that overall attendance is at least in line with national averages. • Leaders should ensure that the personal, social, health and economic education curriculum is taught well and with consistency to enable pupils to develop their knowledge

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Next steps

effectively. • Leaders should provide pupils with increased opportunities to broaden their experience of the wider world so that they are prepared for life in modern Britain. • Leaders should ensure that there is sufficient leadership capacity to make swift and sustained improvements to the school. • Governors should improve their strategic oversight of the school to ensure that teaching improves rapidly and pupils achieve well.

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Lead inspector:

Stephanie Innes-Taylor, His Majesty's Inspector

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About this inspection

The co-chairs of the board of governors in this school re Andrew Sweetmore and Sam Siddorn.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty's Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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About this inspection

The school may not appoint early career teachers before the next monitoring inspection. The position regarding the appointment of early career teachers will be considered again during any monitoring inspection we carry out.

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About this inspection

Inspection activities: Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, the school business manager, members of the governing board and a school effectiveness associate brokered by the local authority. Inspectors spoke to some parents, carers and staff and met with some pupils. They considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school: Since the last inspection, classes have been restructured and pupils are now taught in mixed-aged classes.

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About this inspection

The headteacher was appointed in September 2023.

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About this inspection

The school does not currently make use of alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school provides breakfast and after-school care for pupils who attend the school.

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About this inspection

The school provides nursery provision for children from the age of 3 years old.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years. National average: 26.3%

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2022/23 (final) 54% 60% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2022/23 (final) 71% 73% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 67% 73% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 68% 73% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2022/23 (final) 50% 60% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 58% 59% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 50% 59% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 6.0% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 18.1% 16.2% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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