Ingrow Primary School

107262 Unique Reference Number Bradford Local Authority 287768 Inspection number 26 °27 March 2007 Inspection dates Terry McDermott Reporting inspector

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

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Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 293 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Ms A Robinson Chair Mrs D Gallagher Headteacher 21 May 2001 Date of previous school inspection Broomhill Avenue School address Keighley West Yorkshire BD21 1BW

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01535 603868 Telephone number 1535 692437 Fax number

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3 °11 Age group 26 °27 March 2007 Inspection dates 287768 Inspection number .

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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 larger than average school serves an area of social and economic disadvantage. Numbers on roll are falling. Almost all pupils are White British and all speak English. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is twice the national average. The number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including those with statements of special educational need, is average. An above average number of pupils enter or leave the school during the year. The school holds the Healthy Schools award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Ingrow Primary School, 26 °27 March 2007

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Grade: 4

The school has faced, and continues to face, significant difficulties because of reorganisation, falling rolls, a site which is difficult to manage, and major staffing issues. It has been working hard to overcome them but progress has not been fast enough. Therefore, in accordance with section 13(3) of the Education Act 2005, HMCI is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than in all the circumstances it could reasonably be expected to perform. The school is therefore given a Notice to Improve. Significant improvement is required in relation to pupils' achievement and standards. Standards on entry to the school are very low, but teaching in the Foundation Stage is good and pupils make good progress through a well structured and delivered curriculum which emphasises the importance of play and social development. Pupils start Year 1 with below

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Grade: 4

average standards, but by the time they leave Year 6 standards are well below average. In 2005 and 2006 the standards at Year 6 were exceptionally low. This represents inadequate progress in Years 1 to 6. Too many of these pupils did not learn well enough, and the school itself was not fully aware of what learning pupils had missed. A particular weakness has been the quality of pupils' writing. Pupils say they feel safe, and know what to do when they have a problem. Despite a number of parental concerns, inspectors found behaviour to be good. Pupils are justifiably proud of their sporting achievements. Provision for sport and other physical activities is a strong feature of the curriculum, which is satisfactory. Relationships within the school community are good, helping pupils to learn. Pupils have opportunities to visit the local and wider community to improve their understanding of their own environment and to study other cultures and traditions.

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Grade: 4

However, too many pupils do not come to school regularly. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Pupils get on well together and with their teachers and those that attend school enjoy being in lessons. Many pupils are successfully encouraged to learn independently, and this builds their self-confidence. Lesson planning is generally sound and ensures that the needs of pupils are generally met. However, there is insufficient attention paid to improving the quality of pupils' writing and their handwriting. When combined with a curriculum which gives few opportunities for pupils to use their skills in a coherent way in different subjects, this presents a barrier to learning and to progress. Pupils' work is not marked with enough consistency, nor with clear enough information informing pupils what they have to do to improve. The school takes its safeguarding responsibilities seriously and, along with outside agencies,

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Grade: 4

gives good support to those who need it. The academic guidance it provides is not as strong. The checks the school makes on what pupils know and can do are reliable and accurate. Nevertheless, the information gathered is not used well enough to set targets which challenge pupils to learn more quickly. The school accurately judges its leadership and management as satisfactory. The headteacher and her deputy are very clear about the position the school is in. The school's overall plan clearly identifies priorities for development. The headteacher has taken appropriate action to lay firm foundations for much-needed improvement. Although there is some evidence of impact, these actions have not yet been implemented with sufficient rigour, nor supported by all middle 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Ingrow Primary School, 26 °27 March 2007 leaders with equal certainty. Because pupils underachieve and standards are too low in all

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Grade: 4

subjects, the school gives inadequate value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in English, mathematics and science in Years 1 to 6 and in all aspects of pupils' writing. • Use the information on pupils' attainment to set appropriate targets for learning, and to ensure that teaching meets the needs of all pupils well. • Improve the consistency of marking in Years 1 to 6 to ensure that all pupils know clearly what they have to do get better. • Ensure that the quality of management and leadership by subject leaders is of a consistently high standard throughout the school. • Improve attendance.

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Grade: 4

Pupils enter Nursery with standards that are significantly below average overall. Their personal development is particularly low. This has been the picture for several years. Progress in the Foundation Stage is good because effective teaching and good resources enable children to learn well. Consequently, pupils enter Year 1 with standards that have improved to just below what is expected for their age. By the time they leave the school in Year 6, standards have fallen and are significantly below average. This represents inadequate progress. The school's data indicates that this situation is unlikely to change significantly this year. Weaknesses in the use of information about what pupils know and understand have led to gaps in learning. These have not been addressed and, for some years, have been a direct cause of underachievement and low standards. The number of pupils on roll declined rapidly after the

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Grade: 4

school was reorganised. This led to uncertainties about staffing and frequent changes of teachers. The turnover of staff has been reduced and this is leading to greater consistency in learning. New procedures to ensure that pupils are being taught at the correct levels have been introduced successfully. The school now tracks pupils' attainment regularly and reliably. There are clear indications that teaching is meeting learners' needs more accurately, but it has not yet rectified previous inadequacies. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make satisfactory progress towards their targets because they receive good individual extra support.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' personal development and well-being are satisfactory, with some good features such as their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Most pupils say that they feel safe and secure and that the teaching staff are very approachable if they have a problem. However, a few feel that should they have any problems in the playground they are not always supported by the lunchtime supervisors. Pupils enjoy the very wide range of games and activities provided. They welcome the opportunities to enhance their personal development by, for example, being members of the school council or acting as sports leadership coordinators in the playground. They have a growing self-confidence and social awareness as they move up the school. As one pupil said, 'If you are fair to teachers, they are fair to you.' Attendance is inadequate: too many pupils take days off without giving a reason. On average, a quarter of pupils have at least one

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Grade: 3

half-day out of school per week. Nevertheless, pupils who do attend school display positive 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Ingrow Primary School, 26 °27 March 2007 attitudes and behaviour in lessons and around the school. They say that they like physical education and sport and they are able to describe how to follow a healthy lifestyle by, for example, eating more fruit and taking regular exercise. Pupils are not developing sufficiently strong key skills to prepare them for future learning, or to help them secure their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. It is good in the Foundation Stage and ensures that children there develop quickly. At the start of most lessons, pupils are told clearly what they are going to learn. Computers are used well in a variety of ways to help pupils to learn. Good relationships between teachers and pupils are a common thread throughout the school. Pupils clearly regard learning as enjoyable, and they behave well. In the best lessons, teachers challenge pupils to work independently in small groups, sharing their thoughts and ideas. They use a range of teaching methods which enable pupils to learn well, though some higher-attaining pupils find the work too easy. Teaching assistants and other classroom helpers support learning effectively so that the pupils they help make better progress than their classmates. The school does not have an agreed practice to ensure that pupils write legibly and

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Grade: 3

accurately. This is a root cause of persistent weaknesses in writing throughout the school. Teachers are beginning to set targets for pupils in English and mathematics, but this is very new, and is not yet making sufficient impact on the progress pupils are making. The quality of marking is variable. Some teachers give clear guidance in their comments while others do not sufficiently refer back to the original focus of learning, or state clearly what pupils should do to improve.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum provides a satisfactory range of work and activities for pupils. The school is seeking to revise and improve its curriculum by giving pupils more chances to learn through creative and problem-solving activities. Pupils' personal development is promoted well through organised play and physical activity at lunchtimes which place a strong emphasis on teamwork and sharing. A good amount of time is given to literacy and numeracy, in order to recover from earlier deficits. However, opportunities are being missed for using writing and reading to forge links between subjects. Pupils' enjoyment of learning is promoted through extra-curricular activities, visits and visitors into school. Information and communication technology is being used effectively to deliver the curriculum. In the Foundation Stage children have access to a wide and varied curriculum which is taught in a structured way and emphasises the importance

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Grade: 3

of play. The focus on playing and working together in the early years helps to develop speaking, listening and other social skills.

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Grade: 3

The quality of care, support and guidance is satisfactory with some good features. Systems relating to child protection, medical matters and risk assessments are effective. Vetting procedures for staff and visitors meet with the latest national requirements. The school roll 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Ingrow Primary School, 26 °27 March 2007 includes pupils with complex needs and low levels of self-esteem, in addition to pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. There are good levels of both internal and external support provided for these pupils, and in some cases for their parents, and they make satisfactory progress. There is a growing sense of community in the school which underpins pupils' self-confidence and guides them towards an understanding of their personal health and safety. For example, pupils in a Year 2 English lesson showed good awareness of the need for hygiene and the importance of washing hands before handling food. Teachers are beginning to set

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Grade: 3

targets for pupils in English and mathematics, but these are not set regularly enough. Teachers keep good records of what levels their pupils are working at, but do not use the information they gather well enough to support the next steps in pupils' learning.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher and her deputy know the strengths of the school and the areas which require improvement. However, their honest and determined leadership in seeking to raise standards is not matched by all subject leaders. Senior managers are good role models, and have set a clear direction for improvement. They demonstrate a sound capacity to move the school forward. Several well founded initiatives have recently been implemented to increase the rate at which pupils learn. For example, the school has common assessment procedures which reliably measure pupils' attainment, and targets are beginning to be set for short-term improvements for individual pupils. The consistency of the target setting is not yet good enough because its implementation has not been checked with sufficient rigour. These and other positive initiatives are relatively new and have yet to make their full impact on achievement and standards

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Grade: 3

throughout the school. Governance is satisfactory. Governors have an increasing commitment to the school and are supportive, but do not hold the school to account with sufficient rigour. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Ingrow Primary School, 26 °27 March 2007 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Ingrow Primary School, 26 °27 March 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements No Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

4 How well do learners achieve? 4 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 4 The attendance of learners 3 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Ingrow Primary School, 26 °27 March 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? Yes Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Ingrow Primary School, 26 °27 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you very much for the friendly welcome you gave us when we visited your school recently. Although we were only there for two days, we really enjoyed finding out about the work you do. There were lots of thing we liked about Ingrow and I have listed some of these below. • It is very obvious that those of you who come to school enjoy being in school, and get on well together. We were impressed with how well you behave. • The headteacher and all the other adults in the school want the very best for you, and they take good care of you. • When teachers ask you to work on your own, you respond well and get on with your work enthusiastically. • We were impressed with the way you take on responsibilities, such as getting out the laptops, working on the school council, or volunteering as buddies and friends. However, we also found that your school does need to raise standards, and to increase the pace at which you learn. So we have asked the adults in the school to do the following things.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• Raise standards in English, mathematics and science, and help you to improve your handwriting and give you more opportunities to write about the things you see and do. • Regularly set you targets which challenge you to think for yourselves. • When marking your work, tell you more clearly what you need to do to get better. • Make sure that those adults who are responsible for English, mathematics and science check closely that you are all doing as well as you can. You can play your part by always paying close attention to what your teachers tell you, by continuing to work hard, and by asking your parents to make sure you come to school every day. Do not be afraid to try and work things out for yourselves, or to experiment. But most of all, it would help if you practised hard to improve your handwriting, and then used your new skills to describe the things around you in great detail, perhaps using a pen.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you once again for making us so welcome and good luck for the future. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Ingrow Primary School, 26 °27 March 2007

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