Carr Green Primary School

Inspection Report Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School

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107500 Unique Reference Number Calderdale Local Authority 287830 Inspection number 12 °13 February 2007 Inspection dates Les Schubeler 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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Carr Green Lane School address Primary Type of school Rastrick, Brighouse Community School category West Yorkshire HD6 3LT 3 °11 Age range of pupils 01484 715969 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01484 380045 Fax number 361 Number on roll (school) Mr C Parker Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Lesley Bowyer Headteacher 3 December 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 287830 12 °13 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 is a large primary school situated in Rastrick and serving mixed local authority housing and private developments. The large majority of pupils have White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is higher than the national average. Children arrive at the school with skills and knowledge that range from below average to average. The school has achieved the Activemark, Artsmark Gold, the Investors in People award, the NSPCC Listening Schools award, the Basic Skills2 award and the Healthy Schools award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School, 12 °13 February 2007

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Grade: 2

Carr Green is a good school with many outstanding features. These include the inspiring leadership of the headteacher, the curriculum and the excellent quality of care and support, all of which help promote pupils' good achievement and outstanding personal development. Effectively supported by two colleagues in the senior leadership team, the headteacher ensures that a strong commitment to improvement is at the heart of everything the school does. There is an effective programme of self-evaluation that leads to an accurate view of strengths and areas for development. Results in national tests in 2006 showed a significant improvement in English and science as a result of a whole-school focus on those subjects. The work of pupils in the current Year 6 shows that this improvement is being sustained. The school has successfully tackled the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection. Together with an improvement in

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Grade: 2

achievement overall, this indicates that the capacity to improve is good. The quality of some teaching is outstanding but mostly it is good. However, not enough is done to promote independence in pupils' learning. Children get off to a good start in the Foundation Stage and make good progress throughout the school, reaching above average standards by the end of Year 6. Good improvements in the systems to track pupils' progress help teachers to focus more closely on the achievement of individual pupils. As a result, they are better able to show pupils how to improve their work, and this is accelerating pupils' learning. The school provides an outstandingly rich and varied curriculum. It is exciting and well planned, with a high priority given to promoting basic skills. Effective developments in physical education (PE), personal, social and health education, information and communication technology, music and the arts have bred highly positive attitudes to

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Grade: 2

learning. A wide variety of well attended out-of-school activities benefits pupils' learning, health and personal development. Pupils are cared for extremely well. Excellent levels of both internal and external support are provided for vulnerable pupils and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Pupils enjoy life at Carr Green. They trust and feel highly valued by all staff. They feel safe, secure and happy at the school. Their views are typified by the comment: 'This is a brilliant school where learning is fun!' The school embraces its links with external agencies, the local community and parents. Specialist teachers for PE and music help pupils to develop their skills. External consultants are effectively used to moderate teachers' assessments, including those made in the Foundation Stage. Good curricular links have been developed with neighbouring schools. Family learning events and courses are much appreciated by

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Grade: 2

parents, who place a high value on the work of the school. The strong bond between the school and parents is illustrated by those who say of the school: 'It asks, it listens and it responds.' As a result of helping more teachers to develop their skills in monitoring the school's performance, the leadership team's vision is now more widely shared. A cohesive team of key stage and subject leaders is being developed to move 2 Inspection Report: Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School, 12 °13 February 2007 the school further forward with a common sense of purpose. Governors, too, play an active part in determining the school's priorities and in helping the school to provide good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that more opportunities are provided for pupils to develop independence in their learning.

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Grade: 2

Standards are above average and all pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, achieve well. Good, lively teaching in the Foundation Stage enables children to make good progress, which is continued throughout the school. In Years 1 and 2, reading skills are more highly developed than skills in writing or mathematics. There is now an emphasis throughout the school on improving the standard of pupils' writing. Current work in lessons indicates that it is succeeding, partly because pupils have a clear understanding of how well they are working and of how to make their work better. In 2006, there was a significant improvement in levels of achievement. Higher-attaining pupils performed particularly well. The proportion of pupils who reached the higher levels in English and mathematics was significantly above average. Challenging targets were met in 2006. Those set for the current Year 6 pupils are

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Grade: 2

equally challenging and are helping to drive up standards.

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Grade: 1

Pupils welcome the many opportunities to enhance their personal development, for example, by being play partners or befrienders in the playground or by acting as junior road safety officers in conjunction with the local police. Members of the school council are very proud of their important and clear voice in the school's continuing development. They have tackled many issues such as helping to raise funds towards improvements to the different zones in the playground. Overall attendance is outstanding, as is punctuality. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good and on some occasions excellent. Pupils like sport and PE and understand the importance of developing healthy lifestyles by, for example, eating more fruit and taking part in a huge range of extra-curricular opportunities. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is excellent. Pupils enthusiastically participate in the exceptional opportunities for musical development.

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Grade: 1

For example, 90 pupils learn to play the trumpet. They enhance their cultural development through visits to museums and by inviting pupils from other schools and backgrounds to spend a day with them at Carr Green. 3 Inspection Report: Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School, 12 °13 February 2007

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Grade: 2

Teaching in the Foundation Stage is lively and supportive, providing children with good opportunities to make choices, to work in groups and to acquire essential skills. Throughout the school there are good relationships in the classroom. Pupils want to learn. As a result, they enjoy learning and achieve well. Regular assessments provide teachers with data which they analyse carefully, in order to match activities well to pupils' needs. Lessons are well planned with a clear focus and an appropriate structure to help pupils to learn in graded steps. Occasionally, where there is too much teacher direction and pupils are not actively involved, standards of behaviour fall, the attention of a small minority of pupils drifts and they learn less well. The quality of marking is good. Teachers make helpful comments on pupils' work and give them constructive guidance on how they can improve its quality. Teachers are well supported by other

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Grade: 2

adults, who work well with pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to ensure that they take a full part in lessons and achieve well in relation to their starting points.

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Grade: 1

The Foundation Stage curriculum covers the required areas of learning in a way that ensures that all pupils are excited and make good progress. A review of the whole school curriculum, which included canvassing pupils' views, has resulted in subjects being closely linked within topics. The wide-ranging PE programme promotes effectively pupils' health and well-being and the school has achieved the Activemark. Computers make a valuable contribution to pupils' learning across all subjects. The award of Artsmark Gold reflects the telling contribution made by music and the arts to pupils' learning and enjoyment. Such developments have engendered in all pupils, including the gifted and talented and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, an enthusiasm for learning. Pupils are excited about opportunities to speak French and Spanish, for example, or to learn to play the trumpet. The curriculum is further enriched

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Grade: 1

by events such as Science Week and visits to local museums and galleries. There is an outstanding range of out-of-school activities in and beyond the school day. These provide the pupils with valuable sports, arts and cultural experiences, supporting their personal development and adding to their enjoyment of school.

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Grade: 1

The outstanding quality of care, support and guidance to pupils at the school is crucial in enabling pupils to achieve well and to understand themselves and others. Effective use within the curriculum of a programme that deals with the social and emotional aspects of learning significantly underpins the school's care provision and helps pupils to develop a growing understanding of their own personal development and of health 4 Inspection Report: Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School, 12 °13 February 2007 and safety. The headteacher monitors pupils' personal development through the excellent afternoon tea sessions with invited pupils, who are only too happy to be of assistance in the drive towards excellence and enjoyment in pupils' learning. The school's vetting procedures for staff and visitors to the school fully meet with the latest national requirements. Child protection and health and safety systems are in

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Grade: 1

place. Pupils are increasingly aware of their class-based and personal targets for improvement, and effective assessment strategies across the school are helping to ensure that pupils consistently know what to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher's outstanding leadership provides clear direction. Effective senior leaders contribute well to the school's drive for further development. For example, data is analysed thoroughly and accurately to monitor school performance, and leaders quickly take effective action to address areas for improvement. Comprehensive systems to track both the personal development and the academic progress of pupils have been developed. Their effective use is having a positive impact on pupils' performance in the classroom. Good opportunities for the professional development of staff are provided. The roles and responsibilities of key stage and subject leaders are now clearly defined and the Foundation Stage is led and managed well. Although the full impact of the work of middle managers has yet to be felt, they are beginning to play an increasingly active role in the school's development by taking greater responsibility

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Grade: 2

for the monitoring and evaluation of their areas and making valued contributions to the school improvement plan. 5 Inspection Report: Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School, 12 °13 February 2007 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School, 12 °13 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 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 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

2 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 2 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 2 The behaviour of learners 1 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: Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School, 12 °13 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: Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School, 12 °13 February 2007

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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 three inspectors who visited your school recently. We would like to thank you for being courteous and friendly. We enjoyed talking to you and finding out your views about the school. We spent a lot of time finding out how well you learn in your lessons, looking at your work and talking to your headteacher and school staff. We came to the conclusion that Carr Green is a good school. It has many outstanding features that help you to enjoy school and make good progress in your work. We were impressed by how well you get on with one another, by your positive attitudes to learning and by your enthusiasm for the school in general. We think your teachers and teaching assistants care for you and look after you extremely well, keeping you safe and healthy. We know, too, that you are very proud of your school and that you thoroughly enjoy the many activities such as visits, sports and music that it provides for you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Your teachers teach you well and make your lessons interesting and enjoyable. We have asked them to provide some of you with more opportunities to work on your own so that you do not have to rely on the teacher quite so much. You can help by taking full advantage of the chance to show how well you can work without close direction. Having met you, we are confident you will. We are sure that you will continue to enjoy school and to make good progress. Most of all, we hope that you will carry on working hard and helping all the staff to make Carr Green an even better school. 9 Inspection Report: Carr Green Junior, Infant and Nursery School, 12 °13 February 2007

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