Golcar Junior Infant and Nursery School

Inspection Report Golcar Junior Infant and Nursery School

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107696 Unique Reference Number Kirklees LEA 277813 Inspection number 19 October 2005 to 20 October 2005 Inspection dates Mr Graham Martin 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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Manor Road School address Primary Type of school Golcar Community School category Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD7 4QE 3 to 11 Age range of pupils

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01484 222220 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01484 222220 Fax number 399 Number on roll Mr J Crossland Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr N Miller Headteacher 11 January 2001 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277813 19 October 2005 - 3 to 11 20 October 2005 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 three additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a larger than average primary school. Nearly all pupils are white British. The number of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is well below average. The number of pupils claiming free school meals is below average, as is the proportion of pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The school has received two School Achievement awards and has Healthy Schools and Activemark awards. Nursery and Reception age children are taught together in two early years (Foundation Stage) classes. Attainment on entry to the Foundation Stage is broadly average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Golcar Junior Infant and Nursery School, 19 October 2005 to 20 October 2005

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Grade: 2

This good school has outstanding features, providing excellent value for money. Inspectors agree with the school's own view that it is a good school. The care, guidance and support of pupils are outstanding, with particularly effective teaching about healthy living. Pupils' attendance is excellent and they enjoy learning. They achieve well and standards are above the national average at Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils who find learning difficult achieve well because they receive good support and guidance from adults. Teaching and learning are sometimes outstanding and good overall. Provision for the children in the Early Years Unit which caters for Nursery and Reception children is good so children reach at least the expected standards by the time they enter Year 1. There is no complacency about standards, with a focus to improve boys' writing further. Improved resources to teach information and communication technology

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Grade: 2

(ICT) skills are not yet seen in use across all subjects. Reports to parents now meet statutory requirements. The dedicated headteacher leads the school well, with an outstanding commitment to the care and achievement of all pupils. Good staff teamwork and satisfactory governance ensure effective day-to-day management. Staff and governors have a clear idea of the action needed to continue the improvement made since the last inspection, although targets in the school improvement plan are not identified as clearly as they could be. Nevertheless, the school has good capacity to improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Continue with the work to improve boys' writing. • Improve opportunities for pupils to use their ICT skills in other subjects. • Identify more clearly how areas for improvement in the school improvement plan will raise standards further.

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree with the school's judgement that standards are above average and achievement is good. Children start school with broadly average standards. They make good progress and by the end of the reception year they achieve the levels expected for children their age, with some exceeding these levels. Pupils enjoy their work and continue to achieve well throughout the school. By Year 2 standards are above the national average. The 2005 test results confirm that by the time they finish Year 6 pupils reach standards above the national average in English, mathematics and science. The school sets challenging targets in English and mathematics for its Year 6 pupils and is successful in achieving these. Target setting has improved standards in English particularly well in the past three years. The school continues to raise standards of boys' writing still higher by setting targets that they and their parents can aspire to.

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Grade: 2

Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress. Standards in ICT, while satisfactory, could be improved with more use of ICT skills in other subjects. 2 Inspection Report: Golcar Junior Infant and Nursery School, 19 October 2005 to 20 October 2005

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Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being are good. Pupils behave well and have good attitudes to learning. Relationships between pupils at all times are very positive and their attitudes towards staff are respectful and affectionate. Pupils are polite and helpful, enjoy school and are proud of its achievements. They are encouraged to take responsibility and to contribute to the school community. The school's 'Befriender' and 'Buddy' schemes create strong bonds between older and younger pupils. A well established school council has improved the school environment and has forged links with other local school pupils. Pupils' attendance, consistently above the national average, is outstanding. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Spiritual development has improved considerably since the last inspection. Pupil achievement is celebrated and rewarded in lessons, displays and assemblies. Understanding of world religions

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Grade: 2

and cultures is fostered through lessons and displays. Individual initiative is encouraged along with a strong involvement in teamwork. The school's programme for promoting healthy lifestyles is outstanding. It has gained the prestigious Activemark and Healthy School awards. Healthy eating, enthusiastically supported by pupils, has a very high profile. Daily exercise and stimulus sessions for vulnerable pupils typify the school's commitment to pupils' well-being.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good overall and sometimes outstanding. Expectations are high, resulting in good learning and achievement. A recent teaching focus has been on setting learning targets for writing, to help all pupils to achieve their full potential. This work has raised standards. Teachers use assessment well to set learning targets for all pupils. Setting achievable targets and good links between home and school are helping to raise standards of boys' writing still further. The headteacher and senior staff check teaching and learning carefully, so that the quality of both is sustained. The school shares its good practice well to ensure that high expectations are consistent across the school. Good teaching by adults who help slower learners results in good progress for these pupils. The quality of relationships among adults and pupils is reflected in the pupils' very positive attitudes to learning. Teachers show an excellent commitment to the care for

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Grade: 2

pupils as learners, giving them time to grow in confidence. Pupils develop the basic skills they need for their future economic well-being from good opportunities to use literacy and numeracy in other subject areas. While they attain satisfactory ICT skills, pupils do not have enough opportunities to use them across the curriculum. 3 Inspection Report: Golcar Junior Infant and Nursery School, 19 October 2005 to 20 October 2005

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is broad and balanced, matching the needs of individual pupils well and meeting statutory requirements. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is good. The school is innovative in its commitment to providing French for older pupils, in developing links between the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 and in its personal, social, community and health education curriculum. Lessons are enriched with a range of educational visits and through performances and demonstrations in school involving theatre, dance, music, art and sport. There are many opportunities to take part in a range of extra-curricular activities including sports, choir and guitars. Pupils enjoy participating in musical and dramatic performances and in competitive sport. Pupils are encouraged to raise funds for the school and for charity as individuals and in teams. The school makes healthy eating and physical activity very

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Grade: 2

high priorities and has effective programmes in place for sex, drug and health education.

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Grade: 1

Care in the school is outstanding. The headteacher's longstanding philosophy that every child matters is at the heart of the school's work. Children's needs come first and they sense this. Staff offer sensitive emotional support to pupils and families. Adults have a very good understanding of children's personal backgrounds. They track their progress assiduously and offer highly effective support to help pupils meet their targets. Almost all parents say that their children are well cared for. One wrote, 'The school pays high regard to a child's all round development in terms of academic achievement and emotional development'. Clear child protection procedures, along with effective health and safety routines, are familiar to all. Planned programmes effectively address children's individual needs as they join or leave the school. Staff embrace innovative approaches that nurture children's emotional and physical

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Grade: 1

development such as hand massage and judo, leading to emotional and physical well-being. Expectations are consistently high as the school strives to improve the experiences of the whole school community.

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Grade: 2

The school judges its leadership and management as good and inspectors agree. The school identifies its strengths and improvement areas well. It has good capacity to improve. The headteacher's outstanding commitment to every pupil's success and well-being is achieved through good support from staff and satisfactory challenge from governors. Every child matters in this school because equality of opportunity is outstanding. Systems for checking and improving the school's work are good, as seen in the above average standards, with a continuing focus on driving up standards of boys' writing. 4 Inspection Report: Golcar Junior Infant and Nursery School, 19 October 2005 to 20 October 2005 Good teamwork leads to very effective day-to-day management of school routines. Outstanding use of resources enables the school to meet its stated commitments. The school improvement plan, while largely effective, does not define all targets clearly,

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Grade: 2

such as how ICT will be developed to enrich learning. The school enjoys good relationships with parents and the wider community, responding well to any suggestions for improvement. Parents and pupils are suitably consulted and overwhelmingly hold the school in good regard. An example is the way that discussions with pupils led to improved opportunities for lunchtime activities. Good links with another school widen pupils' understanding of the diversity in their community. This learning partnership with pupils stems directly from the school's caring, positive ethos and its focus on enabling each pupil to achieve well. 5 Inspection Report: Golcar Junior Infant and Nursery School, 19 October 2005 to 20 October 2005 .

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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: Golcar Junior Infant and Nursery School, 19 October 2005 to 20 October 2005

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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 1 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 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 1 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 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 1 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

A team of inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education (OfSTED) recently visited your school. Our job was to find out how well your school is working for you, your family and your community. Thank you for the friendly welcome you gave to the inspection team and for helping us to find out about the work that you do together. There are many good, and some outstanding, things about your school to be proud of. These are the things that we especially liked. - You learn well and reach good standards because you are taught well, you try hard and enjoy coming to school. - Your school teaches you the importance of a healthy lifestyle very well. - You are extremely well cared for, with good advice and help when you need it. - Your headteacher is determined to help you succeed. We have suggested a few things to help your school to improve some more. Here they are: - We would like you to keep working hard with your teachers to improve your writing even

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

more. - We agree with your suggestion that you should have more chances to use your ICT skills in other subjects. - We have asked your headteacher to set out clearly in the school plans what exactly needs to be improved and how he will make sure that it happens. We enjoyed our visit to your good school very much and wish you well for the future.

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