Crossley Hall Primary School

Crossley Hall Primary School Inspection report

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107203 Unique Reference Number Bradford Local Authority 309341 Inspection number 4 °5 June 2008 Inspection dates Keith Bardon 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 Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 482 School The governing body Appropriate authority Dierdre Bailey Chair Mr Michael Thorp Headteacher 12 January 2004 Date of previous school inspection Thornton Road School address Bradford West Yorkshire BD8 0HJ 01274 488703 Telephone number 01274 547273 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 4 °5 June 2008 Inspection dates 309341 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This large primary school serves a disadvantaged area approximately two miles from the centre of Bradford. Almost four out of five pupils are from minority ethnic heritages, predominantly Pakistani. A high proportion of pupils are at an early stage of learning to speak English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including those with a statement of special educational need, is broadly average. The number of pupils who enter or leave the school part way through their primary education is higher than normal. The school has achieved the Investors in People and Healthy Schools awards and the Drugs Awareness Charter. Since it was last inspected a nursery has been added to the school's provision. The headteacher is relatively new and took up his appointment in January 2008. The school provides a breakfast club, after school care and learning courses for parents.

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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: Crossley Hall Primary School, 4 °5 June 2008

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school, which makes good provision for pupils' personal development. Most parents hold very positive views of the education their children receive. 'My girls have thrived since going to Crossley Hall' and 'The school has a caring, sharing environment' are typical of those they express. Pupils are equally positive because 'The school is kind' and 'There is no racism here.' Achievement is satisfactory. Pupils gain knowledge and skills at a steady pace but standards are below average at the end of Year 6. Many children, from minority ethnic heritages, have only limited English when they start school. A strong emphasis on language development moves pupils speaking and literacy skills ever closer to the national average, particularly those from Pakistani backgrounds. Standards, by the end of Year 6, in English, are below average but not by a large margin. The teaching of mathematics lacks the same clarity and focus. Consequently,

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Grade: 3

pupils' progress is slower and standards are firmly below average. Standards at the end of Year 6 are often adversely effected by the higher than usual number of pupils who join the school part way through their primary education. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. While there is a reasonable amount of good teaching, inconsistencies in the planning and delivery of lessons adversely affect the overall quality. In a significant proportion of lessons tasks are not well matched to pupils' abilities so that some find the work too easy and for others it is too hard. This shortcoming affects progress in mathematics in particular. Pupils enjoy the many visits and visitors the school arranges and the curriculum provides satisfactory opportunities for learning. Cross subject links are being forged but are not yet providing pupils with a full set of opportunities to learn. Pupils' enjoyment of school is clearly apparent. Those from different backgrounds get on

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Grade: 3

extremely well and readily help each other. They feel safe and secure in the school's warm atmosphere and know that they can turn to the staff if they have any concerns. Behaviour is good and pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They recognise the importance of a healthy lifestyle and many take regular exercise. Levels of attendance are a little below average and some parents do not respond well enough to the school's efforts to improve attendance and punctuality. Older pupils in particular readily take on responsibilities and links with the local community are good. Pupils acquire a satisfactory range of basic skills in preparation for the future. The pastoral care pupils receive is good. Adults know pupils well and pay close attention to their personal needs. Procedures for tracking pupils' academic progress are starting to build a clear picture of their achievements, but are relatively new. Some procedures for supporting

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Grade: 3

pupils in small groups to help boost their learning are in place, but these do not function well enough. Leadership and management across the school as a whole are satisfactory. The recently appointed headteacher has taken decisive steps to strengthen the senior leadership team and implemented other measures, which have been greeted positively by pupils, parents, staff and governors. While the early signs are promising, it is too early to judge the level of success of these initiatives. Leaders at other levels make a satisfactory contribution to school management and the school runs smoothly. Governors are supportive of the school and are beginning to ask more searching questions to challenge its performance. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Crossley Hall Primary School, 4 °5 June 2008

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Grade: 3

Although children make satisfactory progress in the Foundation Stage in response to the satisfactory teaching they receive, their attainment is well below expectations for their age at the end of Reception. Many children start Nursery with poor knowledge and skills and a substantial number are at a very early stage in learning English. Teachers provide interesting activities, which encourage pupils to listen, participate and communicate. By the end of Reception, children have gained the basics of spoken language but many still have difficulty expressing themselves fully. Children steadily gain in confidence and learn to work and play happily alongside others. A significant minority have some difficulty adhering fully to class routines. Management of the Foundation Stage is satisfactory and staff work closely as a team. The provision indoors is colourful and stimulating. Provision out of doors has lacked development

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Grade: 3

but improvements are under way. Activities are generally well organised, although there are occasions when some staff are not clear enough about the learning that is to take place. Links with parents are good and staff provide useful information to help children learn at home.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Increase achievement and raise standards in mathematics.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the quality and consistency of teaching to ensure that pupils of all abilities have work that is closely matched to their needs. ■ Provide more effective support for pupils who need to work in small groups to boost to their learning. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Although pupils make satisfactory progress as they move through the school their starting point is low and at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 standards are below average. This has been the pattern since the previous inspection. Minority ethnic pupils make good gains in language development and the results attained by Year 6 pupils in the national English tests are often higher than in the other subjects. Pupils do not make as much progress in mathematics as they do in English. While some steps have been taken to raise standards these are showing only moderate success and improvement is incomplete. Pupils who have been at the school since their Reception year benefit from the continuity and often make better progress than those who join at other times. Overall, pupils of White British heritage do not achieve as well as those of Pakistani heritage. The school is not entirely sure why but motivation is something

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Grade: 3

they are looking into. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities maintain a satisfactory rate of progress. There are no significant differences in the attainments of boys and girls.

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Grade: 2

'We're well mates here' chorused a group of Year 6 pupils, when commenting on the happy mix of pupils in the playground. Behaviour in lessons and around school is good. There are very few occurrences of racial disharmony or bullying, which ensures that pupils feel safe in school. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Crossley Hall Primary School, 4 °5 June 2008 This makes a positive contribution to pupils' learning and demonstrates how contentedly pupils from different home and cultural backgrounds get on together. Opportunities for sport and for taking responsibilities around school are seized eagerly. Pupils organise the library, stationery shop, play activities at lunch-time, litter picking and working in the school allotment. The school council is keen to improve school life, especially school lunches where an increasing number of pupils benefit from the healthy choices available to them. Work alongside the community

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Grade: 2

has created a garden that can be shared as a place to reflect or simply enjoy the plants. Attendance is satisfactory. Pupils' spiritual, social, moral and cultural development is good. Pupils mature into considerate young people who, despite some weaknesses in their numeracy skills, are ready to take on the next stage in their education.

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Grade: 3

Teachers generally have good subject knowledge and use this to make lessons enjoyable. The majority use questioning skills well, to support and challenge pupils' thinking and probe their understanding. Teaching assistants work effectively alongside teachers, providing additional support for those pupils who need help to fully access the curriculum. In most lessons clear statements about what pupils are expected to achieve in each lesson are shared with pupils both at the beginning and at the end. Many of the measures introduced to promote consistently good quality teaching have not yet impacted fully, particularly in mathematics. There are significant variations in the challenge lessons provide, the pace that is generated, the level to which pupils are actively involved and particularly how well work matches pupils' individual needs. The quality of teachers' marking is variable and does not always guide pupils as to how

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory in meeting the needs of the pupils. Opportunities are being sought to link subjects together to make learning more meaningful for pupils, but these are still in the early stages of development. The emphasis placed on drama, role-play and speaking and listening enlivens the curriculum and increases the enjoyment for pupils. Regular visits out of school are often linked to the local community. For example, older children have visited the local hospital to learn life saving skills. This made a good contribution their personal and social development. Visitors to the school, including members of the local church and leaders of other faith groups, have further enriched the curriculum. Local environmental groups have worked with pupils in developing their own community. A satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities is available to pupils, including sports, computers and choir.

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Grade: 3

The school provides a caring and supportive environment for pupils. Support staff work hard to help pupils through difficult times to ensure they are happy and secure in school. Imaginative efforts, such as a designated school bus, are in place to encourage parents to help their children attend regularly and punctually. The school is tireless in its efforts to persuade parents not to endanger pupils' safety by inconsiderate parking outside the school gates. Good attention is 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Crossley Hall Primary School, 4 °5 June 2008 paid to pupils' health and safety. Arrangements for ensuring safeguarding and child protection meet requirements. Staff work closely with outside agencies to give strong support to vulnerable children and those identified with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Academic support is satisfactory. Although pupils are aware of their personal academic targets, the school does not

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Grade: 3

provide enough support for pupils needing a short-term boost to their learning by working in a small group.

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Grade: 3

The new headteacher has recognised the need to pay closer attention to the raising of standards and a substantial remodelling of the school's leadership and management structure is taking place. A more realistic picture of how well the school is performing has recently been formulated but work is needed to document this fully and accurately. While there have been some successful developments, such as the addition of the nursery, standards have remained below average. Therefore, improvement since the previous inspection is satisfactory. Staff and governors are aware of what is needed to increase the school's effectiveness and there is a common determination to bring this about. The school's positive ethos, under which pupils from a wide range of backgrounds learn happily together, provides a platform for future improvement. The contribution staff make to school management varies widely and some have yet to acquire all

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Grade: 3

the skills they need to play a fully effective part. Governors know the school's strengths and areas for improvement but many are relatively inexperienced. Their capacity to support the school and to hold it to account is satisfactory. The school's capacity to improve in the future is satisfactory. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Crossley Hall Primary School, 4 °5 June 2008 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Crossley Hall Primary School, 4 °5 June 2008

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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? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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

3 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: Crossley Hall Primary School, 4 °5 June 2008

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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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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: Crossley Hall Primary School, 4 °5 June 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you very much for the very friendly greeting you gave the inspectors when we visited your school recently. Lots of you smiled and chatted to us which made us feel comfortable and welcome. We thoroughly enjoyed finding out about the work you do and a special thanks to those who talked with us about the school. Crossley Hall is a satisfactory school which gives you good support for your personal development. You told us you were happy in school and we could see for ourselves the enjoyment you get from learning new things. Something that pleased us immensely was how well everyone gets on together. This is very important and does you and the school a great deal of credit. Your behaviour in and around school is good and most of you pay close attention in class. It was nice to see pupils helping around school and showing respect for each other and staff. The school cares for all its pupils well and you develop into sensible and considerate young people.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Most of you are making satisfactory progress, particularly in English. You also make progress in mathematics, but the school agrees with us that you could achieve more. We have asked staff to look for ways to help you do this. You can play your part by learning as many number facts as you can so that you can calculate accurately both in your head and on paper. Teachers plan lessons carefully and you clearly find the activities interesting. It is important that the work given to different pupils in lessons is just right for them. We have asked teachers to make sure that this always happens. On occasions some of you would benefit from working in small groups to help you improve the quality of your work. We have asked the school to look into how this could be organised more effectively. We are confident that if you are asked to join one of these groups you will see it as a good opportunity to improve your learning and work as hard as you can.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you once again for a very enjoyable two days and best wishes for the future. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Crossley Hall Primary School, 4 °5 June 2008

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