Killinghall Primary School

Inspection Report Killinghall Primary School

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107431 Unique Reference Number Bradford Local Authority 287814 Inspection number 21 °22 February 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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Killinghall Road School address Primary Type of school Bradford Foundation School category West Yorkshire BD3 7JF 3 °11 Age range of pupils 01274 771166 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01274 771167 Fax number 490 Number on roll (school) Hilary Temple Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Gill Edge Headteacher 2 July 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 287814 21 °22 February 2007 3°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 large two form entry primary school serves an area of social and economic disadvantage close to the city centre of Bradford. The great majority of pupils are from a minority ethnic background. Three quarters do not speak English at home. Half are entitled to free school meals. The number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is more than double the national average. The school holds the Healthy Schools Award, and is a recognised Investor in People. The headteacher is new since the last inspection.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Killinghall Primary School, 21 °22 February 2007

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Grade: 1

Killinghall is an outstanding school which gives its pupils an excellent all-round education. It gives excellent value for money. The school has emerged from a period of significant disruption, and is securely on its journey of improvement. The headteacher is a focused and inspirational leader who has the highest possible aspirations for the school and the pupils. She demands that the school makes every effort to ensure that each individual is highly valued and nurtured within a caring but very purposeful environment. The very calm atmosphere found in the school belies a great deal of effort going on behind the scenes. Children enter the school with low skill levels overall. There is a considerable amount of catching up to do: their speech and language skills are particularly underdeveloped, many cannot grasp and use a pencil, and few know how to work and play together. Good provision in the Foundation Stage means that children learn quickly and build

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Grade: 1

a strong base for their future development. By the time pupils reach the end of Year 6 they are polite, patient and extremely well behaved. Progress is outstanding for all groups of pupils, taking account of their varied starting points, capabilities and needs. Although there is more to be done to raise their broadly average standards of work in the core subjects, pupils in Year 6 can explain their thoughts and ideas clearly in both speech and writing. Pupils' personal development is excellent because of the outstanding care, guidance and support they receive. They love being in school, recognise the importance of learning and really enjoy it. Provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. The school sets very high standards of personal and interpersonal respect, and pupils demonstrate this through their appreciation of others' efforts, their tolerance and their patience. The quality of arrangements for checking

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Grade: 1

how well pupils are learning and developing as individuals is excellent. It is shown through the school's skill in meeting the needs of pupils with very different needs and capabilities, thus ensuring that all pupils feel included and enjoy their education. Teaching is good. Teachers plan their lessons well and have high expectations of their pupils, but not all of them maintain sufficient levels of challenge. As a consequence, in these few instances, the pace of learning slows. In the very best lessons activities are exhilarating and enticing, firing pupils' imagination and inspiring them to explore previously unconsidered areas. Here, learning is rapid because pupils' thirst for learning is challenged. The school is currently modifying its already good curriculum to ensure that tasks set in lessons are interesting to all pupils. Leadership and management are outstanding. The headteacher has a clear and objective

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Grade: 1

view of the school's strengths. She wastes no time in tackling things which need to be improved. For example, a very successful initiative to involve parents directly in their children's learning has seen a remarkable reduction in absence in the past year, so that attendance is now good. The school's self-evaluation is carried out with rigour. Because it is aspirational and very self-critical, the school often judges itself too modestly. Nevertheless, attention to detail, combined with very good improvement 2 Inspection Report: Killinghall Primary School, 21 °22 February 2007 since the last inspection, indicates that the school has an extremely good capacity for continued improvement.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in English, mathematics and science. • Ensure that the quality of teaching and learning is consistently high throughout the school.

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Grade: 1

Achievement is outstanding for all groups of pupils. Major gains are made in English, mathematics and science for the many who arrive with very little English and no previous experience of education, or from schools with different levels of expectation. This is because the school is very skilled at meeting pupils' individual needs. Pupils make consistent progress through the school, so that by the end of Year 6, they reach broadly average standards. This is particularly significant given the range of learning difficulties and/or disabilities of a significant proportion of the pupils. The school meets or exceeds its challenging targets. In the Foundation Stage children get off to a good start because teaching and leadership are good and staff have very high expectations of what children can achieve. This ensures that all children make impressive gains in their communication skills and in their personal and social development. This is helped by the active support of parents

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Grade: 1

in partnership learning strategies. When children leave Reception, their standards are still well below national expectations, but they are cooperative, growing in confidence and independence, and well prepared for future learning. In particular, the huge gains in personal development for pupils with very serious learning difficulties and/or disabilities, such as visual impairment, boost their achievement to levels unimaginable in previous learning situations.

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Grade: 1

Pupils show quite remarkable courtesy and care. To see a blind pupil walk confidently around the school, up and down stairs, with only the occasional guiding touch of a sighted friend, is both moving and inspirational for all. Pupils can confidently explain a healthy lifestyle and vie to be rewarded at the Top Diners table. Residential visits for Years 3, 4 and 5 have successfully enhanced pupils' social skills and their understanding about working in teams. This is especially important when seen in the context of first trips away from home without their parents. They say that they feel safe in school. 'Behaviour has improved,' they said, 'so if we keep up our good work, this school will be a bad-free zone.' Playground and classrooms are extremely harmonious. 3 Inspection Report: Killinghall Primary School, 21 °22 February 2007 Pupils greatly value taking on responsibilities and recognise and respond

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Grade: 1

overwhelmingly to the ethos of being in a caring community. Older pupils work as volunteers in the breakfast club and are also active in promoting road safety. The active school council controls a budget, 'puts the fun into fundraising' and participates in staff appointments. If pupils have a concern, they know where they can get help. The learning mentors and inclusion workers give very valuable support in developing pupils' life skills and in resolving issues.

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Grade: 2

Teachers have a strong and clear commitment to their pupils. Many interesting resources are used in lessons, often prepared by the school's Inclusion Centre. These attract pupils' attention and help them to learn well. Behaviour is well managed in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Relationships are excellent and this allows all pupils to feel included. Praise and encouragement are given regularly, and so pupils try hard and give of their best. The best lessons are exciting and inspirational, but in some others teachers do not always ask enough of the pupils. When this happens, enthusiasm wanes and progress slows. The school's systems for following pupils' progress are rigorous. The information gathered is beginning to be used much more effectively to raise individual standards more quickly for every pupil. Teachers make good use of display and other resources, including information and communication technology, to

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Grade: 2

A recently introduced whole-school approach to long-term planning has resulted in a curriculum that is broad and balanced and gives pupils increased opportunities to learn at their own pace. There is a strong emphasis on building literacy and numeracy skills. The curriculum is well planned with relevance and realism in mind. It is kept under continual review to ensure that it raises pupils' aspirations. Pupils' diverse academic and personal needs are well catered for, and this ensures that learning is improved and self-esteem raised. The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities before and after school to reinforce learning and to promote physical fitness. This contributes strongly to pupils' understanding of healthy lifestyles and to their excellent social awareness. The additional needs of pupils entering the Foundation Stage are understood well by the school. It is currently working closely with parents to help prepare children better

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Grade: 2

for this important stage of education. The needs of the many pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are met well and reflect the school's inclusive approach to education. Several pupils follow a personalised curriculum. As a result, they make similar progress to their classmates. 4 Inspection Report: Killinghall Primary School, 21 °22 February 2007

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Grade: 1

The staff are prepared to go the extra mile to ensure that all pupils are able to participate actively in the life of the school. Arrangements to safeguard pupils meet requirements and are taken very seriously by the school. The school has an excellent system for checking the progress pupils are making, and is very quick and precise in identifying those who need extra help. Academic guidance is very good, supported by an innovative method of marking work which involves pupils directly in the assessment procedure. Pupils have targets to work towards and older ones know what levels they are at in English, mathematics and science. This helps them focus on what they need to do to improve. Pupils know that if they are troubled or unhappy there is always someone to turn to. They report that their concerns are dealt with promptly. Links with other agencies are strong, resulting in very good support for vulnerable pupils. Pupils with learning

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Grade: 1

difficulties and/or disabilities receive very effective support from the well trained teaching assistants and the school's learning mentors. The school has succeeded in increasing the involvement of parents in their children's education. For example, parents are welcomed into the classroom and clearly enjoy the opportunity to review their children's ongoing work.

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Grade: 1

The headteacher's clear and strong leadership ensures that pupils, staff and parents feel valued, and pupils strive always to do as well as they can. Teamwork is a very strong feature of the school. The large staff group is committed to playing its part in raising standards and achievement. The recently appointed curriculum leaders manage their subjects well. The leadership team checks regularly how well the different parts of the school are working and takes swift action to bring about improvements when required. The school recognises that the information it gathers on how much pupils know could be used more consistently to drive up standards even higher. Governance is satisfactory overall. It is improving under the leadership of the knowledgeable and dedicated chair, who acts as a strong and critical friend of the school. The school deploys its resources very effectively. 5 Inspection Report: Killinghall Primary School, 21 °22 February 2007

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Grade: 1

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Killinghall Primary School, 21 °22 February 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 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 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

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

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 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?

1 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: Killinghall Primary School, 21 °22 February 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? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Killinghall Primary School, 21 °22 February 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I would like to thank you all for making us so welcome when we visited you recently. We were really impressed with your happy faces, your excellent behaviour and the very considerate way you help each other around the school. You made it very clear to us that you are proud of your school because it is such a pleasant and safe place to be, and because it helps you to learn. As I was leaving the school, I asked two boys and their mum what they felt the inspection would judge the school to be. They told me without any hesitation that Killinghall was an outstanding school. We agree. We judge that Killinghall is an outstanding school where all pupils make excellent progress. This happens for three main reasons. • The headteacher pays very close attention to every detail of what goes on in the school. She is very demanding and will only accept the very best of everything. • Every adult in the school takes the closest possible care of you, is determined to keep you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

safe and happy, and helps you to learn all the right things. • Your excellent attitude to school, your respect for each other, and your enjoyment in learning. We also feel that the school could help you to do even better, so we have asked the school to: • ensure that teachers keep up the pace of learning in lessons by challenging you more consistently to do your very best • raise the standards you reach by the end of Year 6 in English, mathematics and science. This means that you will have to work harder than you already do, but since you like learning new things so much, I'm sure that you won't find that too much of a problem. 9 Inspection Report: Killinghall Primary School, 21 °22 February 2007

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