Triangle CofE VC Primary School

Inspection Report Triangle CofE VC Primary School

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107540 Unique Reference Number Calderdale Local Authority 287846 Inspection number 30 °31 January 2007 Inspection dates Graham Martin 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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Butterworth Lane School address Primary Type of school Triangle, Sowerby Bridge Voluntary controlled School category West Yorkshire HX6 3NJ 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01422 831558 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01422 831558 Fax number 120 Number on roll (school) Mr Ashley Evans Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Gavin Davies Headteacher 4 February 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 287846 30 °31 January 2007 4°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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This is a smaller than average village school. It is popular, serving a large semi-rural district with nearly a third of its pupils travelling from outside its immediate catchment area. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average while the proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is broadly average. The school was awarded the Basic Skills Quality Mark and Calderdale's Healthy Schools award in 2005. It also holds the Football Association Charter Mark, awarded in 2006. The headteacher was appointed since the school's last inspection in 2002. Other recent appointments have ensured stability in staffing. A playgroup and before and after school care, provided independently, are both available on the school site. These were inspected in December 2006 and January 2007 respectively and separate reports are available from the school. The school

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Description of the school

celebrates its 150th anniversary later this year.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Triangle CofE VC Primary School, 30 °31 January 2007

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Grade: 1

As soon as you step inside this outstanding school you feel welcome. 'I continue to be proud of Triangle School and recommend it to anybody with young children.' said one parent, voicing the views of many. The school's impressive family ethos, recognised and valued by pupils and parents alike, is an undeniable strength. As a result pupils enjoy excellent relationships with each other and the adults who help them. The headteacher's exceptional commitment and dedication present an outstanding role model to staff and pupils: his leadership and management are highly effective. The modest evaluation of the school's work means that the inspection grades the school's effectiveness higher. The headteacher gives the school clear direction to sustain improvement. Pupils' learning is enhanced by their exemplary attitudes, supported well by excellent teaching. Outstanding provision in the Foundation Stage enables

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Grade: 1

children to learn rapidly and with immense enjoyment. A curriculum enriched by many varied and interesting activities provides wonderful opportunities for learning, adding significant value to every child's achievement. All of this leads to outstanding achievement and high standards. Pupils' outstanding personal development is testament to the high quality of individual care, with every child valued for what he or she can contribute to the life of the school. This was acknowledged by many parents who agreed, 'All children get a chance to shine here because their interests are recognised and nurtured'. Pupils say that they greatly enjoy school because interesting learning activities are provided and they feel very well cared for. They respond well to extensive opportunities for developing their independence and their awareness of others. As a result their behaviour is outstanding: they act safely and respect their environment. They know

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Grade: 1

how to live healthy lives, as their interest in sport and their knowledge of how food affects their bodies testifies. Pupils have a genuine care and concern for the needs of other children, teaching them to play games considerately and helping each other to be better learners when work is challenging. The school's vetting procedures for appointing staff meets national guidelines for safeguarding children. The headteacher's outstanding leadership, with highly effective governor support, has effectively managed the school through recent staff changes. The school has sustained rapid improvement. Through these changes the headteacher has maintained a high level of professional commitment, setting in place very effective management systems to ensure that the school continues to improve. The good use teachers make of assessment data, however, is not consistent across the school. The headteacher's astute recognition of individual staff skills enables them to work very well as a team,

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Grade: 1

with particularly effective leadership from staff appointed to key management and administration roles. This school offers outstanding value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure the consistent use of assessment data by teachers across the school, to maintain the high standards achieved by all pupils. 2 Inspection Report: Triangle CofE VC Primary School, 30 °31 January 2007

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Grade: 1

Children begin the Foundation Stage with broadly expected skills, having come from a number of different pre-school settings across this semi-rural community. Outstanding work in the Reception class ensures that all children progress well and reach the expected goals as they enter Year 1. The school sets and meets challenging targets for standards of learning in the vital basic skills of literacy and numeracy. By the end of Year 2 standards have been sustained at levels above average for several years, with an improvement in the number of pupils attaining the higher levels in writing. Pupils in Years 3 to 6, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, maintain outstanding achievement. By Year 6 standards are well above average, with a particular strength in pupils' reading skills and still improving standards in writing and mathematics.

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Grade: 1

This school's strong family ethos is reflected abundantly in pupils' personal development and well-being. The outstanding relationships in the school are evident in the way that pupils respect and understand the feelings of others. Pupils enjoy school and attendance is well above average. They are extremely polite, friendly and courteous, developing by Year 6 into mature, confident and eager learners who take pride in their achievements. They thrive on opportunities to help favourite charities, such as making dolphin-shaped biscuits to sell to raise money for sea mammal conservation. Pupils agree that their school provides them with the skills and self-belief to be good learners, as seen in the mature outlook of a Year 6 pupil who commented, 'I am looking forward to high school because this school has got me ready for it.' Overwhelmingly, parents value the school's effective work in promoting their children's personal development,

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Grade: 1

with particular praise for the school's outstanding success with pupils who have behavioural or emotional difficulties. The school council is proud to lead decision making actively: its pupil members set a good example for other pupils, cooperating maturely with adults and understanding very well their responsibilities as young citizens. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. They value the school's exceptional work to help them understand the need for rules and good order, to empathise with children from other cultures, to appreciate healthy living and to recognise and minimise risks to themselves and others.

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Grade: 1

Teaching and learning are outstanding, reflected in the pupils' high levels of enjoyment of lessons and their excellent progress. Pupils of all abilities learn avidly because 3 Inspection Report: Triangle CofE VC Primary School, 30 °31 January 2007 teachers plan activities that are fun and engage their interests well. By using an exciting range of practical activities, games and interactive whiteboard programmes, teachers stimulate a high level of interest in lessons. The outstanding support given by teaching assistants has a pronounced effect on all pupils' learning. Pupils enjoy their involvement in question and answer sessions that promote their independent thinking skills. Lessons are managed well and resources are used to good effect, enhancing learning skills and promoting high levels of achievement.

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Grade: 1

This school's outstanding curriculum, including that in the Foundation Stage, has exciting and rich links across other subjects, successfully promoting high levels of enjoyment and achievement. The extensive breadth of the curriculum means that pupils' different needs and talents are served exceptionally well, and this is appreciated by parents. Weaknesses in curriculum planning and the use of computers seen at the last inspection have been very successfully addressed. Provision for vulnerable pupils and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is outstanding, enabling them to improve their learning skills and be successful. The health, safety and emotional developments of learners are well supported through sport, exercise and the use of visitors to enrich opportunities for the arts. Good community partnerships enrich opportunities for pupils, including sports competitions, arts events and opportunities

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Grade: 1

for pupils to meet and make friendships with children in the wider locality. Parents and pupils have welcomed the very successful introduction of French across the school and German in Years 1 and 2.

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Grade: 1

'I don't think there could be a more caring school than this', said one parent, who voiced the views of many others. Indeed, for the quality of personal, social and emotional care this school gives its pupils, it could not be faulted. Pupils confirm that they feel safe, secure and confident. Appropriate procedures for child protection, for safeguarding pupils and for assessing risks are in place. Every pupil is well known to staff, consequently each is treated as an individual and with dignity, at the same time learning that each of them has a responsibility of care for others. 'Our children go to school happy and come home happy', said one parent, a sentiment that is reflected in every aspect of the school's work. The school involves pupils in how they can improve their learning very well. The school has also identified that the continued development of teachers' assessment skills will ensure that the very best practice seen is shared

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Grade: 1

across the school to make it consistently effective. 4 Inspection Report: Triangle CofE VC Primary School, 30 °31 January 2007

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Grade: 1

Outstanding leadership by the headteacher gives this school a strong sense of direction. His exceptional dedication provides an undeniably strong commitment to the well-being of Triangle School and its pupils. His hard work sets a positive model of care for children and a standard of professionalism for other staff that is valued greatly by parents, who share the view that the 'headteacher always makes sure that things get sorted out'. Checks on the school's work are diligent and thorough, enabling the school to identify what needs to be done to continue its improvement, such as involving the school in local partnerships to help with the drive to maintain standards and raise them further. Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined so that the school is managed exceptionally well. There have been changes to staff over recent years. With the highly effective support of governors, the headteacher has managed this change to the

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Grade: 1

school's advantage by making very strong appointments to key leadership and management roles. By sustaining an outstanding ethos, sharing expertise and good practice well, very effective teamwork ensures that the school's capacity to improve remains exceptional, using the good skills of both experienced and recently appointed staff. 5 Inspection Report: Triangle CofE VC Primary School, 30 °31 January 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: Triangle CofE VC Primary School, 30 °31 January 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? 1 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? 1 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 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: Triangle CofE VC Primary School, 30 °31 January 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: Triangle CofE VC Primary School, 30 °31 January 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You all welcomed me very well when I recently spent two days inspecting the work of Triangle Church of England Primary School. I enjoyed my visit very much. Thank you for all the conversations we had that helped me to find out how well your school works. You told me that you think you have a good school. I am sure that you will be pleased that my inspection found that your school is an outstanding place to learn! You told me about how happy you are at school and how well you feel looked after. Again, I agree with your opinion, you do have a school where you are all cared for equally well. I think you know that you are very lucky to have a headteacher, teachers and support staff who give you lots of wonderful opportunities to enjoy learning and be successful. At Triangle Church of England Primary School you learn the importance of being part of a community that works together to achieve success. Part of that success is the high standards that you reach in your

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

English and mathematics. Keep it up! To make sure this success carries on and your school keeps getting better, I have asked your teachers to: • make sure that they are all using what they know about how well you learn to ensure your high standards continue. I know that your headteacher, who works very hard and is popular with you and your families, will give your teachers the right help to achieve this. You can help as well by continuing to enjoy learning as much as you do. I hope that you all have great fun celebrating your school's 150th anniversary later this year. Have a good time! 9 Inspection Report: Triangle CofE VC Primary School, 30 °31 January 2007

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