Saltaire Primary School

Inspection Report Saltaire Primary School

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107270 Unique Reference Number Bradford Local Authority 287774 Inspection number 6 °7 November 2006 Inspection dates Ralph Higgs 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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Albert Road School address Primary Type of school Shipley Community School category West Yorkshire BD18 4NR 5 °11 Age range of pupils 01274 584093 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01274 773940 Fax number 430 Number on roll (school) Mr Paul Breeze Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Kevin Keogan Headteacher 11 June 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 287774 6 °7 November 2006 5°11 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 very large primary school is situated in a former industrial village, which is now a World Heritage Site. It occupies impressive Victorian buildings. These have been extensively refurbished since the last inspection. It admits pupils from a wide range of social, cultural and religious backgrounds. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average. Over a quarter of its intake are from minority ethnic groups, with the largest group being of Pakistani origin. There are growing numbers of pupils who are learning English as an additional language or who are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is lower than average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Saltaire Primary School, 6 °7 November 2006

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Grade: 3

The school provides a satisfactory education with a number of good features. Pupils' achievement is satisfactory. However, their personal development is good and their behaviour is excellent. Pupils are very proud of their school and they work and play together very well, regardless of their backgrounds. The school council makes an outstanding contribution to their community. This is because the school has a very caring ethos and listens well to what pupils say. The attainment of children on entry to Reception is often above expectations. They make good progress as they settle quickly and those with weaker skills soon catch up with most of the others. By the time they enter Year 1 many exceed the standards expected for their age. All groups of pupils make satisfactory progress to reach above average standards at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. However, despite efforts to improve, standards in writing have been lower than in reading for several years.

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Grade: 3

The school is popular with parents. One said, 'It is a happy school and has a real community feel.' This is reflected in above average attendance, pupils' evident enjoyment of lessons and their wholehearted involvement in activities at playtimes. Pupils are polite and courteous. They have a good understanding of how to keep healthy and stay fit. Their excellent self-discipline is shown by the way they play safely in a crowded playground and their orderly movement around the school site. There is some good teaching throughout the school, although it is satisfactory overall. This is because there is some unevenness in the pace and challenge in some lessons which leads to pupils making satisfactory progress. Assessment information is not used consistently to closely tailor work to pupils' learning needs. Pupils receive very good, caring support. However, they do not always know the targets that have been set for

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Grade: 3

them to achieve or understand what to do to improve. There are limited opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills outside of literacy lessons. Hence, the curriculum is satisfactory despite the good enrichment opportunities provided. In contrast, provision in the Foundation Stage is good as pupils enjoy a rich range of learning experiences. The quality of leadership and management is satisfactory. The headteacher, well supported by the deputy headteacher, has led the school with clear purpose since the last inspection. Standards have risen. There has been good improvement in the quality of pupils' personal development and to the accommodation. In other areas, such as the use of assessments to aid learning and provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, progress has been slower. The school has a largely accurate understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. Coupled with the recent reorganisation

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Grade: 3

of the leadership team, and the satisfactory partnership established with governors, there is a satisfactory capacity to further improve. The school provides adequate value for money. 2 Inspection Report: Saltaire Primary School, 6 °7 November 2006

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in all aspects of writing. Ensure that pupils receive additional opportunities for extended writing in as many subjects as possible. • Enable pupils to have a more active role in setting and reviewing their own targets, so they know what they need to do to work at a higher level. • Improve the quality of teaching, providing all groups of pupils with consistently challenging work so they are able to achieve well.

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Grade: 3

The Foundation Stage is very well organised. The staff team carry out clearly defined roles and ensure children receive good levels of support. Consequently, children develop confidence in working independently and together, and therefore learn well. Results in national tests in Year 2 and Year 6 fell back to broadly average in 2006. This reflected the individual cohorts of pupils and some difficulties the school experienced with the continuity of staffing. Current standards are above average and are similar to the standards reached in previous years. Standards in writing continue to lag behind reading and speaking and listening. Pupils' ability to organise their writing, and to write for different purposes, are weaker areas. In each year group, pupils make at least the progress expected in relation to their starting points. This is because they work hard in lessons. The 2005 test results showed that there was underachievement amongst pupils who had learning difficulties and/or

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Grade: 3

disabilities or who were bilingual. The school responded decisively to this situation. These pupils' needs are now accurately identified and their progress is closely monitored. Additional specialist teaching has ensured that all pupils are now making satisfactory progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils develop into mature, thoughtful and considerate young citizens by the time they leave school. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. In particular, pupils develop a very good understanding of different ethnic cultures through their involvement in innovative art and dance schemes. Pupils make an excellent contribution to their local community by taking part in many worthwhile events, such as the Saltaire Festival. They readily exercise responsibility. For example, 'school buddies' and 'playground pals' are very helpful to other children at playtimes. Much charitable fund-raising also shows pupils' readiness to contribute to the well-being of others. The school council is outstanding, as pupils take their roles very seriously. It makes an excellent contribution to pupils' understanding of good citizenship. The council has made many valuable suggestions for improvements, including to the range of

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Grade: 2

3 Inspection Report: Saltaire Primary School, 6 °7 November 2006 playground resources, and to school lunch menus. This has encouraged energetic play and a good understanding of healthy eating. Pupils are generally well prepared for their future economic well-being. However, this is limited by their satisfactory rather than good progress in key areas such as numeracy.

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Grade: 3

Good relationships, effective management of pupils and high levels of care underpin the satisfactory quality of teaching and learning. Where teaching is good, pupils find lessons interesting, challenging and fun. For example, some teachers use information and communication technology (ICT) well to capture learners' interest and concentration and to aid learning. Teaching assistants provide good quality support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and for those learning English as an additional language. However, the pace of lessons is not always brisk enough to get pupils to think hard. Also, some lessons do not give pupils enough time to work independently and show initiative. Teachers almost always share with pupils what they want them to learn. However, they do not always check on the extent of pupils' learning so that they can build carefully next time on what pupils know, understand and can do. Marking usually

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Grade: 3

acknowledges and celebrates pupils' efforts. It does not always indicate what they need to do next to improve.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum takes account of all pupils' needs and meets national requirements. Changes to the Year 1 curriculum are beginning to build well on the good provision in the Foundation Stage. Personal development is given strong emphasis and lies at the heart of the school's effectiveness in this area. However, pupils' skills in writing and mathematics are not used widely in other subjects to deepen and broaden their understanding. Some lessons in Key Stage 2 are too long to sustain pupils' interest and this hampers their progress. There is a good range of visits and visitors and innovative special events, such as 'Miles of Smiles' week. This enrichment helps to bring learning to life, to break down barriers between subjects and helps to broaden pupils' horizons. Pupils, mostly in Years 3 to 6, benefit from a good choice of clubs, for example, in sport, dance and craft. These additional experiences help to develop healthy and varied lifestyles.

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Grade: 3

4 Inspection Report: Saltaire Primary School, 6 °7 November 2006

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Grade: 2

This aspect is good overall. Whilst care and support are very good the guidance given to pupils on how to improve their work is only satisfactory. The school strongly embraces the idea that 'Every Child Matters'. Typical comments from pupils include, 'adults are friendly', 'they are firm but fair' and 'they help you to learn'. Child protection regulations are fully observed and the school has good procedures for supporting children in local authority care. Health and safety procedures are reviewed regularly. Pupils receive good personal advice and guidance, for example, through the work of the learning mentor. Considerable efforts are also made to involve parents in their children's learning. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and bilingual pupils receive high levels of individual attention to ensure that they progress as well as others. However, pupils say that they are uncertain about how well they are doing

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Grade: 2

in mathematics and English and that they would like clearer, individual targets for learning.

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Grade: 3

The school's leaders have recognised that the measures taken to boost achievement have not had the expected results. They are taking firm action to increase the impact of plans to improve the school. Hence, the recently reorganised senior team has extended leadership responsibilities. New priorities for improvement are well defined and action plans are tightly focused so their impact can be measured. The school has also raised its sights by setting more challenging and ambitious targets for pupils' achievement. Good account is being taken of the views of parents and pupils. The school has established good ties with local schools and other agencies, which are used productively to extend what it provides. Self-evaluation procedures are satisfactory. However, the school overestimates the quality of its leadership and management and its capacity to improve. The use made of the analysis of national and internal tests results is improving. For example, this

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Grade: 3

has recently led to more finely targeted provision for pupils at risk of underachieving. Leaders frequently observe lessons. However, their evaluations of these are not sufficiently focused on the impact of teaching on pupils' learning. 5 Inspection Report: Saltaire Primary School, 6 °7 November 2006 .

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Grade: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Saltaire Primary School, 6 °7 November 2006

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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 Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

3 How well do learners achieve? 2 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 1 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 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?

2 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. 7 Inspection Report: Saltaire Primary School, 6 °7 November 2006

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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? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Saltaire Primary School, 6 °7 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for the warm welcome you gave to the inspection team during our recent visit. We enjoyed meeting you and you were very helpful towards us. Your views helped us a lot to understand your school. These are the main things we found out during our visit. • You work hard in lessons and your learning is satisfactory. • Your school is helping you really well to grow up to be mature young citizens. • We were very impressed by your excellent behaviour in lessons and during playtime. • You are very friendly and helpful to one another and to adults. • The school council does an excellent job and is helping the school to improve. • You know how to choose healthy foods and that exercise is good for you. You behave safely around school. • You are right to say that school is enjoyable and that staff are helpful. • All of the staff take really good care of you, as they know you very well. Your teachers will be trying to help you make better progress by:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• enabling you to improve your writing; you will need to play your part by continuing to concentrate hard on your work • helping you to understand how well you are doing in your subjects and what you can do to improve; you told us that this would be very helpful • setting you even higher challenges in all lessons so that you can do your best. We wish you every success in the future. 9 Inspection Report: Saltaire Primary School, 6 °7 November 2006

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