Hade Edge Junior, Infant and Nursery School

Inspection Report Hade Edge Junior and Infant School

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107656 Unique Reference Number Kirklees LEA 277797 Inspection number 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 Inspection dates Mrs June Sharpe CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Greave Road School address Primary Type of school Hade Edge Community School category Holmfirth, West Yorkshire HD9 2DF 4 to 11 Age range of pupils

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01484 222 470 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01484 222 470 Fax number 81 Number on roll Mrs Angela Senior Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Miss Janet Fozzard Headteacher 11 September 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277797 3 May 2006 - 4 to 11 4 May 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This small rural school enrols pupils from the village of Hade Edge, as well as from areas beyond the traditional catchment. Most pupils are from privately owned homes, almost all are from white British backgrounds and none speaks English as an additional language. A few pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and a very small proportion claim free school meals. Since the previous inspection, the Victorian building has undergone significant refurbishment. There has been a change of headteacher and the new appointment of an assistant headteacher.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Hade Edge Junior and Infant School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006

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Grade: 2

Hade Edge is a good school and offers good value for money. It is a happy, welcoming and caring school that seizes every opportunity to put itself at the very heart of the community and to link with other local schools and outside agencies. Parents and carers think very highly of the school and pupils enjoy attending. Good quality teaching and learning ensure that girls and boys of all ages and abilities achieve well. Their good attitudes, behaviour and attendance help them to benefit fully from the enriching curriculum. The good leadership of the headteacher and assistant headteacher has ensured a good amount of improvement throughout a period of great instability in staffing and a major refurbishment of the premises. The quality of teaching and learning has improved since the previous inspection, and the quality of provision and standards in the Foundation Stage are now good. The school is resourced well and the premises

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Grade: 2

provide a suitable environment for teaching and learning. Recent efforts to improve standards in writing are proving successful, as are initiatives to improve provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Staff and governors do not yet make full use of the increasing amount of information available about pupils' attainment to pinpoint weaknesses in standards early, in order to set tight learning targets and to involve pupils in their own learning.

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What the school should do to improve further

Make robust use of the increasing amount of information about pupils' attainment available in order to: • find out how well the school is performing • spot weaknesses in standards, and make plans for addressing them • set National Curriculum targets for pupils, and plan lessons that enable pupils to reach their differing goals • involve pupils more consistently in their own learning and progress.

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Grade: 2

The school is modest in judging achievement and standards to be satisfactory; they are good. National test data are not reliable indicators of standards where small numbers of pupils are tested, and the school has strong evidence of good progress now being made by individual pupils. When pupils start school, their attainment is broadly average. Girls and boys achieve well and, by Year 6, standards in national tests in English, mathematics and science are significantly above average. Pupils in Year 6 are on track to maintain a rising trend of results and achieve high standards. The school has met or exceeded its targets for Year 6 national tests in the last two years, and has set realistically challenging targets for 2006. In 2005, Year 2 assessments were well below average, especially in writing, because earlier staffing instability had a detrimental effect on pupils' progress over time. The school's procedures for identifying pupils

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Grade: 2

with special educational needs at that time were also ineffective. Recent school data, 2 Inspection Report: Hade Edge Junior and Infant School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 however, confirm that pupils are now making good progress, and that weaknesses in standards, including in writing, are being tackled successfully. A major contribution to improved standards is that children in the Foundation Stage now make a better start than previously, and achievement in the Reception class is good. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities now make good progress because of good quality support.

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Grade: 2

Good attention to pupils' personal development and well-being means that they enjoy school, are proud of their achievements and have a good understanding of how to stay safe and keep healthy. Behaviour and attitudes are good. Pupils say that the adult play leader has helped them to play fairly so that there is no falling out. Pupils' good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development was evident when a large group confidently practised playing African musical instruments and singing an African chant. Other pupils listened carefully and watched in amazement. Afterwards, most pupils expressed a wish to try it for themselves. Players will shortly perform at a local folk festival - just one example of pupils' outstanding contribution to their community and improving multi-cultural understanding. Pupils are particularly caring about the welfare of other people, and have an extensive programme of charitable fund raising. The

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Grade: 2

personal, social and emotional development of children in the Foundation Stage is good. They very quickly settle into school routines, make friends and join in with the whole life of the school. Although attendance is good, it is showing early signs of decline this year because of family holidays taken during term time.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are now good and pupils achieve well as a result. The headteacher and governors have taken decisive action to eradicate previously unsatisfactory teaching, and the appointment of an assistant headteacher with strong expertise in the Foundation Stage has given children a better start in their learning. Enthusiastic teachers prepare lessons well and ensure that pupils know what they are going to be learning. Pupils appreciate the widening variety of teaching styles and methods used by teachers. Year 6 pupils, for example, say how much more they are enjoying science lessons this year because they spend more time doing practical investigations and less time completing worksheets. Teachers manage pupils' behaviour positively, so that a minimum of time has to be spent dealing with problems. They make good use of information and communication technology (ICT) to make lessons interesting. Good

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Grade: 2

use is made of time so that pupils are invariably busy and engaged in their learning during lessons. The effective deployment of classroom assistants improves the learning of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The school is improving its 3 Inspection Report: Hade Edge Junior and Infant School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 procedures to enable more accurate assessments of pupils' progress and attainment over time, to set tighter targets and to involve them more in their own learning.

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Grade: 2

The broad, balanced and interesting curriculum meets statutory requirements and caters well for the needs of pupils in mixed-age classes. It includes good opportunities for pupils to learn about health and safety and to prepare for their future economic well-being. The curriculum enables pupils of all abilities, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, to make good progress, with very good opportunities for gifted and talented pupils to further their personal interests. It is enriched well, for example, by opportunities for pupils to work with visitors, enjoy educational visits, take part in sporting events and attend the good range of extra-curricular activities. Many pupils enjoyed taking part in the 'adopt an artist' scheme, and the standard of their art and design work was good. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage has improved significantly since the previous inspection. It is now very well

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Grade: 2

planned to match the needs of the children, including innovative ways of overcoming the difficulties of providing an outdoor curriculum.

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Grade: 2

Pupils come to school happily and make good progress. As one parent commented, 'There is a genuine feeling of care between pupils and from the staff'. All adults work as a united team to support the pupils, and there are good procedures for child protection and health and safety. Very good links with outside agencies and other local schools help staff to support pupils with particular needs, such as those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the gifted and talented. Teachers now identify pupils with learning difficulties early and support them well so that they make good progress. The school makes good provision for pupils' personal development and well-being. The introduction of philosophy for children, for example, enhances pupils' thinking skills and prepares them well for their secondary education. The school's improvements to procedures for tracking pupils' progress are being successful in raising

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Grade: 2

standards, especially in writing. There is potential for setting tighter learning targets, and for involving pupils even more fully in reaching them.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher's good leadership and management have kept the school running smoothly and guided improvement through a period of considerable staffing instability and major refurbishment of the premises. Good inclusion, good relationships and a strong sense of teamwork contribute notably to pupils' good academic and personal achievements. There is good consultation with parents and pupils, and all staff appreciate having an equal voice in making decisions. The assistant headteacher plays 4 Inspection Report: Hade Edge Junior and Infant School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 a leading role in improving the quality of education, and has tackled successfully the previous weaknesses in the Foundation Stage. Improvement since the previous inspection has been good. The school is tackling weaknesses by, for example, raising the achievement of pupils in Years 1 and 2, and quickening the pace of teaching and learning. The school is rightly improving its record keeping of pupils' attainment and

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Grade: 2

progress over time in order to evaluate its performance more accurately than in the past. The fairly new governing body meets its responsibilities satisfactorily. Supportive and willing governors have overseen improvements to the premises and resources well, but a lack of available detail about the school's performance has restricted their role as critical friends. Similarly, subject co-ordinators are still building up knowledge of specific areas for improvement in teaching and standards to include in plans for improvement. Nevertheless, the school has pinpointed correctly the most important priorities for development, such as raising achievement in writing, and has made good progress towards addressing them. The school has good capacity for further improvement. 5 Inspection Report: Hade Edge Junior and Infant School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Hade Edge Junior and Infant School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 3 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I would like to thank you for making me feel so welcome when I visited your school, and for answering all my questions so thoughtfully. I enjoyed talking to you and joining your lessons and assemblies. I think that there are a lot of good things happening in your school. What I liked most about your school. - You like coming to school. - Everyone gets along very well together. - Your behaviour is good and you work hard. - Your work is of a high standard and writing has improved this year. - Your parents and carers think that Hade Edge Junior and Infant is a good school. - You get involved in everything that is happening in your local area. - Your school building and playground have improved a lot in recent years. What I have asked the school to do now. - Find out and write down more about how well you are making progress, especially in English, mathematics and science. - Give you clearer targets to aim for and make sure that your work helps you to reach them.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

- Keep reminding you about your targets and asking you how well you think you are doing. I am sure that you will continue to be a happy school.

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