Longroyde Primary School

Longroyde Junior School Inspection report

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107501 Unique Reference Number Calderdale Local Authority 287831 Inspection number 27 °28 June 2007 Inspection dates Alan Giles 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 Foundation School category 7 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 243 School

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The local authority Appropriate authority Mr Robert Fox Headteacher 13 January 2003 Date of previous school inspection Longroyde Road School address Rastrick Brighouse West Yorkshire HD6 3AS

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01484 715300 Telephone number 01484 401810 Fax number

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7 °11 Age group 27 °28 June 2007 Inspection dates 287831 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

In recent years, the characteristics of the school's catchment areas have changed significantly with pupils coming from a more varied socio-economic background. The numbers of pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities, are eligible for free school meals and who have English as an additional language are around the national average. However, numbers vary dramatically from year to year and in some year groups there is a high percentage of pupils requiring additional learning support. There are also an increasing number of pupils arriving at different times during the school year. The headteacher was appointed in 2004. The school has Activemark, ICT Mark, the National Healthy Schools award, and Basic Skills2, and is a partnership promotion school working with local teacher training providers.

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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: Longroyde Junior School, 27 °28 June 2007

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school with many good features which is enabling quite rapid progress to be made on a number of important issues. Importantly, this means the school has a good capacity for further improvement. High levels of care and support for pupils are a feature quickly recognised on entering the school and the pupils respond to this by expressing great pride in their school. They show very positive attitudes in all their daily activities. The school has the unconditional support of its parents and the wider community. Parents are highly satisfied with the work of the school. They feel very well informed, have confidence in the headteacher and staff, and know that behaviour is good and that the pupils enjoy coming to school. As a result of good spiritual, moral, social and cultural provision the school is a harmonious community where pupils from varied cultural backgrounds eagerly learn and play together, displaying high levels of respect

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Grade: 3

for different races, views and beliefs. Pupils' personal development is good and is seen as an important link in the next stages of improving individual achievement. As a result of this, pupils are developing into mature and confident individuals who behave excellently and who are keen to take on responsibility for their learning. However, teachers are not always using these skills and qualities to best advantage to improve learning in classrooms further. For example, use of varied learning tasks in the classroom, particularly involving problem solving and research, is not yet sufficiently widespread. At regular times since the last inspection the school has enabled its pupils to achieve above national average standards in English, mathematics and science. However, apart from science, these standards have been too varied and inconsistent over time. Even when standards have been good, inspection evidence and the school's own analysis of the test results show that

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Grade: 3

pupils' progress is not better than satisfactory overall. As a result, considerable effort and reflection has gone into the development of systems to track the progress of individual pupils in English, mathematics and science as they move through the school. Where teachers use these systems to set clear and challenging targets and relevant learning tasks, pupils become more aware of what good progress is, how they are doing and what they need to do to improve at the next stage. This has been the case with consistently good achievement in science over a long period of time. Recent interventions have had a positive effect on improving learning and achievements in mathematics throughout the school. The school is well led by a headteacher who has a clear view of the improvements needed, especially for all pupils to make good progress, year on year. He is well supported by staff who are fully committed to equal opportunities and raising the achievement of all. Senior leadership's

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Grade: 3

evaluation of the school's strengths and priorities for further development are incisive and accurate. This has enabled fast progress to be made in initiating and reviewing new practices and systems, although the impact on standards and achievement throughout the school is not yet fully evident. There is a clear urgency of purpose throughout the school perfectly reflected in the rigour and enthusiasm linked to the further professional development of staff, especially via newly established school partnerships and learning networks. This is successfully helping teachers to share and reflect on good teaching and learning practices, as well as to work together to provide interesting activities. Where this is happening, pupils make good progress because they are highly motivated, respond well to exciting and stimulating tasks and achieve well, for example in information and communication technology (ICT), music and physical education.

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Grade: 3

Although the school has done much good work to develop an interesting and creative curriculum, 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Longroyde Junior School, 27 °28 June 2007 with a wide range of additional out-of-school activities, it is yet to be fully utilised to consistently match the very wide range of learning needs of all groups in the school. While there are many good features in all aspects of the school's provision, these have yet to be consistently applied to improve the achievement of all pupils. Overall effectiveness and value for money are therefore satisfactory.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the quality of teaching so that it is all at least good. • Improve pupils' achievement in English.

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Grade: 3

There are considerable differences in the range of abilities of pupils entering the school from year to year. Fluctuating numbers of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and English as an additional language, and of pupils arriving at the school at different times, have resulted in inconsistent standards and achievements. The school's 2006 test results for Year 6 pupils in English were considerably lower than in previous years because of these factors, and also because a significant number of boys did not achieve what they were capable of in writing. Present achievement in Years 5 and 6 is good in mathematics and science, and improving in English. However, achievement is still only satisfactory in these subjects in Years 3 and 4, where teaching is not as consistently good as in the later years. The school is now effectively analysing where improvement is needed, for example in writing,

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Grade: 3

and has begun to intervene to improve the position. Previously the school had addressed a low trend in mathematics results, yielding a dramatic improvement in the 2006 results. The present Year 6, who entered the school with average attainment, are on course to exceed the average national standards for their ages in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, and are presently making good progress. The progress pupils make in the core subjects across the school is still too inconsistent, and the school recognises the need to challenge the younger pupils in particular to improve the rate of progress presently being made.

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Grade: 2

Pupils are polite and courteous and their behaviour in and out of class is exemplary, with pupils feeling free from harassment and keen to learn. Attendance continues to improve and is now good. Pupils want to come to school because they enjoy their lessons and being with their friends. Pupils feel safe at school and welcome the fact that they can always turn to other pupils or adults when they need help. They have a good understanding of the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle and they appreciate all that the school provides to help them achieve this, particularly the promotion of physical activity. Pupils play a very full part in the life of the school and their growing influence is evident for example by the availability of toys and the development of a sheltered area in the playground. Older pupils welcome the opportunity to nurture younger pupils through the house system, the weekly enrichment afternoon and acting

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Grade: 2

as befrienders or book buddies. Because of the focus on basic skills, including ICT, mental mathematics, speaking and listening, and skills such as team working, pupils are well prepared for the next phase in their education. The close links developed with the local infant and high schools further enhance and aid this particular aspect of their personal development. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Longroyde Junior School, 27 °28 June 2007

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Grade: 3

The overall quality of teaching is satisfactory with consistently good teaching in Years 5 and 6. The well deployed teaching assistants throughout the school provide good quality support to the growing number of pupils who need additional help, and their work has contributed to recent improvements. A positive learning ethos is a feature of all classes, reflecting outstanding relationships and behaviour. Pupils readily talk of the range of interesting and fun activities they receive and they say that these help them learn more effectively. Many lessons are purposeful and efficient because teachers make clear, and pupils understand, the objectives of lessons. The best learning observed was when pupils were actively involved through working with partners, experimenting, using independent research and solving problems. In other lessons pupils have to listen to instructions and explanations for long periods of time, and this results

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Grade: 3

in a slower pace of learning. The school has developed good assessment records of achievement and targets for the next stage of learning, and has made it a main priority to use these to develop teaching and learning strategies. However, in a number of lessons, planning is not fully using these records to identify the wide range of pupils' needs. As a result, tasks set are not always the most challenging for everyone and there are missed opportunities to challenge all pupils to make the best progress possible.

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Grade: 2

The good curriculum is playing a pivotal role in both improving individual achievements and ensuring that pupils enjoy their education. It reflects national strategies and statutory requirements but teachers also work hard to tailor the curriculum more closely to meet the needs, interests and aspirations of pupils at the school. The enrichment afternoon is very popular with pupils and encourages a further broadening of skills and experiences. For example, all pupils in Year 4 are taught a musical instrument as part of the Widening Opportunities Programme. Furthermore, there is an impressive range of out-of-class activities, including sport, music, and art, providing opportunities for a range of gifts and talents to shine through. Much effort has been put into the development of a personal, social, health and citizenship curriculum and this is having a very positive impact on pupils' willingness to readily adopt healthy lifestyles

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Grade: 2

and to display positive personal attitudes and behaviours.

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Grade: 2

This is a caring and inclusive school summed up by pupils in the playground talking of being 'one big happy family'. Staff take a genuine interest in pupils, going out of their way to help and support them. A typical view was expressed by one Year 6 pupil, who said 'Teachers comfort us when we are sad.' Arrangements for the safeguarding of pupils are in place and risk assessments are carefully attended to. Increasingly, pupils are being informed of how well they are progressing in their lessons and what they need to do to improve further, and parents are very well informed about their children's progress. The increasingly effective pupil tracking 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Longroyde Junior School, 27 °28 June 2007 system is identifying pupils at risk of underachieving and steps are beginning to be taken to get them back on track.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher has a clear vision of a school and community growing and learning together. On arrival he quickly viewed the need for self-evaluation to be central to all practice. As a result, the school is beginning to prioritise its work very well, with all staff sharing responsibilities. There is an accurate and honest understanding of its strengths and areas to develop. Successful interventions to improve previous inadequate standards and achievements in writing and mathematics across the curriculum are testimony to the strengths of self-evaluation and have resulted in raised standards and achievement. Recent monitoring of teaching and learning has been effective in identifying strengths and addressing some key weaknesses. Whenever the school intervenes to provide additional support for pupils, the intervention is monitored very carefully to ensure maximum impact. Good and consistent leadership in all subject areas considerably enhances these self-evaluation processes. Detailed

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Grade: 2

analysis of the results of different groups of pupils and of individual pupils is being used to provide challenging performance management targets based on pupils' progress. However, there is still a way to go to ensure the consistency of practice needed to improve pupils' achievement further. The governing body is contributing well to the management of change; its members support the direction the school is taking and challenge the school to ensure that it provides value for money. The budget has been well managed and used to provide much improved learning spaces, including invigorating creative arts, library and ICT areas. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Longroyde Junior School, 27 °28 June 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Longroyde Junior School, 27 °28 June 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

3 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 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 2 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Longroyde Junior School, 27 °28 June 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Longroyde Junior School, 27 °28 June 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Inspection of Longroyde Junior School, Brighouse, HD6 3AS It was very nice of you to greet us so kindly when we came to your school recently to see how well you, and your school, are doing. Throughout our stay it was quite obvious that you are proud of your school and that you make good contributions to making it a happy and safe place to learn. We enjoyed talking to you in your music clubs and during your breaks. We also enjoyed visiting your lessons to watch you learn and you should be very proud of your excellent behaviour and very positive attitudes. We agree with you when you say everyone gets on really well and that lessons are interesting. These are some of the best things your school does. • The good ways in which your headteacher and other staff look after you. • Making sure you behave very well, make good friends and are very keen to learn. • Encouraging you to be very active in school life and in making decisions.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• Providing very many interesting activities for you to become involved in. We have asked your teachers to improve some aspects to make your school an even better place to learn in. We have asked them to: • make all lessons as good as possible, and help you to do as well as you can in English You can help by asking your teachers what else you need to do to improve. Thank you for helping us with our work and for being such excellent hosts. We hope you continue to be proud of your school. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Longroyde Junior School, 27 °28 June 2007

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