Hepworth Junior and Infant School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 11–12 March 2009 Inspection number 324614 Hepworth Junior and Infant School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 107657 Local Authority Kirklees Inspection number 324614 Inspection dates 11–12 March 2009 Reporting inspector Clare Henderson

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 under pilot arrangements; it was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act . The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils mixed Number on roll School (total) 107 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mrs Celia Poole Headteacher Miss Linda Goodall Date of previous school inspection March 2006 School address Maingate Hepworth Holmfirth West Yorkshire HD9 1TJ Telephone number 01484 222472 Fax number 01484 222474 Email address head.hepworth@kirklees-schools.org.uk Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk 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

This pilot inspection was carried out by one Additional Inspector. The inspector visited nine lessons, and held meetings with the senior leadership team, governors, parents, staff, pupils and a representative of the local authority. The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a range of evidence, including school policies and documents, the tracking system used to monitor pupils’ progress, the work pupils complete in their books, the school development plan, minutes of governors meetings and 31 parental questionnaires.

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Introduction

The inspection reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at the following:

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Introduction

 the rate and consistency at which all pupils progress, particularly in reading and writing  the strength of pupils’ personal development and well-being  the tracking of pupils’ progress to ensure all pupils meet their potential  the impact of leaders and managers at all levels in improving outcomes for pupils  the effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about the school

This is a smaller than average primary school. It is a situated in a rural setting serving pupils from the village of Hepworth and surrounding areas. The school has Early Years Foundation Stage provision in its Reception class. All pupils are of White British heritage. The percentage of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average. There are currently no pupils claiming free school meals. The school has added Eco Schools Bronze, Investors in People, Investors in Pupils and Artsmark to the National Healthy Schools and Activemark Gold, awards held at the time of the last inspection. The headteacher took up post in January 2009.

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Inspection judgements

Grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Main findings

This is a good school. Through a time of recent significant change in staffing, governors, staff and the local authority provided support to ensure changes were smooth and seamless. In spite of these changes, good achievement and exemplary pastoral support, guidance and care for all pupils have been sustained. Most parents agree, ‘there is a warm, friendly approach to school life with a good balance between enjoyment and achievement’. A small but significant number of parents, however, would like to receive more regular information of the progress their children are making. Inspection findings agree with parents’ views.

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Main findings

The school’s self-evaluation clearly identifies key areas for improvement. For instance, following analysis of pupils’ progress in national tests in 2008, programmes of work to improve attainment in reading at Key Stage 1 and English in Key Stage 2 were put in place. Inspection evidence from observing pupils at work shows that these are beginning to pay off and attainment in reading and writing are improving. The school has made good progress in addressing the area for development identified at the previous inspection. As a result, the quality of day to day assessment has improved and teachers are making better use of lesson evaluations to ensure work is planned to meet the different learning needs of pupils. The school has identified that regular tracking of pupils’ progress, the setting of challenging targets and involvement of pupils in assessing their own work are not consistently applied. Consequently, the progress pupils make as they move from year to year is

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Main findings

The good quality curriculum pays close attention through its excellent personal and health education programme to ensuring pupils know the importance of leading a healthy and safe lifestyle. This is a strength. Pupils are very aware of the need to support and learn about the religious and cultural beliefs of others. They do this very effectively through supporting charitable work, for example in Uganda and establishing strong effective links with another school within a different area of the local authority.

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Main findings

Pupils’ personal development is given high priority. Because of this, pupils enjoy school and participate fully in the extensive range of opportunities provided. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Most pupils become mature, self-confident young people and leave the school well prepared for the next stage of their education. The school is well positioned to move forward. The good quality of teaching and learning and good levels of pupils’ progress and attainment seen during the inspection demonstrate a good capacity for sustained improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

Increase the rate of progress for all pupils by ensuring that:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 teachers set sufficiently challenging targets  targets are reviewed half termly and shared with parents  pupils are involved in continuous assessment and review of their work  pupils are provided with clear direction in what they need to do to improve their work.

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2

Children typically enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are average for their age, although in some year groups these are above expected levels, and leave the school with levels of attainment above national averages overall. Most pupils work hard and use their time profitably to achieve well in a range of lessons. Key Stage 1 assessment results in 2008 were well above the national average in writing and mathematics, and above average in reading. Provisional results for Key Stage 2 in 2008 indicate that attainment as measured by the national tests for the pupils in Year 6 was above average overall. This represents good progress for these pupils from their starting points. Although significant numbers of pupils gained the higher Level 5 in mathematics and science, pupils did not perform as well as expected in English. The school has taken action to address this dip in attainment by

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2

putting in place intervention programmes to improve pupils reading and writing skills. However, because targets set are not always sufficiently challenging and the tracking of pupils’ progress are not carried out frequently enough, all pupils do not attain as well as they could. A scrutiny of pupils’ work, lesson observations and analysis of reliable school records shows that all groups of pupils make good progress from their starting points. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress because they are well supported in small groups by highly-skilled educational teaching assistants.

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2

Pupils’ behaviour in class and around the school is good. Pupils show an excellent understanding of how to be healthy and take regular exercise. They knowledgeably exclaim, ‘If you do not have a balanced diet you could develop diabetes or obesity’. Pupils feel safe and know who to approach if they are worried. They make a very positive contribution to the life of the school through their work as, for example, school councillors, play leaders or Eco officers. They are involved in a range of charitable activities in the wider community. Pupils say they are really happy and enjoy school and their attendance is good. They are well prepared for their future economic well-being through the development of teamwork and enterprise skills. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding with particular strengths in pupils’ moral and social development as demonstrated by the way they work collaboratively in pairs and teams.

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2

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes Pupils’ attainment 1 2 The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress 2 The quality of learning for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and their progress How well do pupils achieve and enjoy their learning? 2 To what extent do pupils feel safe? 1 How well do pupils behave? 2 To what extent do pupils adopt healthy lifestyles? 1 To what extent do pupils contribute to the school and wider community? 1 Pupils’ attendance 2 How well do pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being? What is the extent of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development? 1

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The quality of the school’s work

The quality of teaching and learning is good with examples of outstanding practice. Strengths in teaching include high quality relationships and secure subject knowledge shown by teachers. In the best lessons, teachers use day to day assessments of pupils’ learning well to plan learning experiences which motivate pupils and keep them on-task. However, in a few lessons, the work set is not always sufficiently challenging to extend the learning of all pupils. Similarly, pupils’ personal targets do not always challenge them to achieve as well as they could. The deployment of educational teaching support assistants adds much to pupils’ progress, particularly in supporting pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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The quality of the school’s work

The good quality curriculum is beginning to make some interesting links between subjects. Learning is often innovative and exciting. For instance, in a Year 3/4 music lesson, the singing of catchy songs about bones in the body and care of teeth enabled pupils to remember, in a fun way, scientific knowledge. This helped them immensely when studying the skeleton and teeth in the following science lesson. The curriculum is kept under constant review to ensure that it meets the needs of all pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The curriculum has been enriched with the introduction of the teaching of structured phonics to enhance pupils’ reading and writing skills. All pupils can access French through the extra- curricular provision made available to them. Pupils’ information and communication technology (ICT) skills are good overall. Pupils, particularly in Key Stage 2, use the

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The quality of the school’s work

1 Grades for attainment are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; 4 is low limited ICT resources to best avail to support their work effectively. The school provides pupils with an impressive range of sporting, musical and educational activities beyond the normal school day. High participation rates indicate that these activities make a valuable contribution to pupils’ personal development and well- being.

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The quality of the school’s work

Support, guidance and care are exemplary, with parents reflecting pupils’ views that children are well looked after by Hepworth’s staff. One example of the wide range of targeted support is the work of support staff with a group of Year 3/4 pupils in reading. This extends beyond support for reading to include pastoral support within the highly popular ‘Quest’ reading and writing programme. This enables pupils to progress well both socially and academically.

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The quality of the school’s work

These are the grades for the quality of provision High quality teaching and purposeful learning 2 Effective assessment 2 An appropriate curriculum which meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, provision through partnership with other organisations Support, guidance and care 1

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How effective are leadership and management?

The headteacher in a short time has rapidly collected information to gain a picture of pupils’ progress and outcomes across school. She provides strong, purposeful and very caring leadership and has successfully maintained and built upon previous good practice. She has a highly motivated team of staff who are sharing more in the challenge of raising attainment and taking on more delegated responsibilities. Effective monitoring systems are used well to identify areas for improvement. Whole- school evaluations are largely accurate, and agree with the inspection’s findings. The school improvement plan comprehensively details the areas for both immediate and planned improvement drawn out of the school’s evaluations. It is an inclusive school where effective action is taken to meet the needs of all groups of pupils.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The governing body has used its professional expertise to support and challenge the headteacher, particularly given staffing changes. Parents and carers make an effective contribution to the school beyond serving as governors: they provide support in the classroom with, for instance, reading, and this helps to improve pupils’ skills and confidence.

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How effective are leadership and management?

Community cohesion is effectively promoted. The school looks outside its own community to widen pupils’ understanding and first-hand experiences of cultural diversity through effective partnerships with other schools. Because of this, pupils say, ‘we learn to respect and value different religions’. The school meets all the requirements for safeguarding, child protection, health and safety, and risk assessment. Financial management is good and resources are effectively deployed. These are the grades for leadership and management Communicating ambition and driving improvement 2 Promoting equality of opportunity and tackling discrimination 2 Ensuring that safeguarding procedures are effective 2 Ensuring that the governing body provides effective challenge and support so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities are met Promoting the school’s relationship with parents and carers, including their

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How effective are leadership and management?

involvement in decision-making about matters relating to learning and well-being Developing partnerships with other providers, organisations and services 2 Ensuring the school contributes to community cohesion 2 Deploying resources to achieve value for money 2

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Children enter Reception with skills that are in line with those expected for their age overall. Thorough induction arrangements, effective partnerships with parents and the welcoming atmosphere ensure that children settle quickly into school and learn routines. The bright and lively learning environment, interesting activities and extremely warm, caring relationships develop children’s curiosity and help children to understand that learning is enjoyable. This good quality provision ensures that children make good progress in all areas of their learning. By the end of Reception, most pupils are working at or exceeding the level typically expected for their age. Particular attention is paid to children’s speaking and listening skills and daily teaching of phonics accelerates children’s reading and writing skills effectively. Children develop a very good understanding of how to keep healthy and stay safe.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Adults pay close attention to tracking children’s small steps in learning and use this information to ensure planned activities build on what children already know and can do. However, they are not always given enough opportunities to choose activities for themselves in the outdoor area to develop their independence sufficiently well. The Early Years Foundation Stage is well led and managed to ensure children receive a good start to their education and the needs of all individuals and groups are met.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

How good are the outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage? 2 What is the quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage? 2 How effectively is the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage led and managed? Overall effectiveness: how well does the setting/school meet the needs of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

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Views of parents and carers

Most the 31 parents who responded to the inspection questionnaire are content with the quality of education and care provided. Parents regard the school as, ‘very happy and caring’ and the headteacher and staff as ‘approachable’. There were no particular trends in the small number of criticisms received. A minority of parents commented that they would like to be kept better informed about the progress their children are making. The inspection agrees that this concern is merited and so it appears as a judgement in the body of the report.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. In 2007-8, 15% of schools were judged to be outstanding. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. In 2007-8, 49% of schools were judged good. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. In 2007-8, 32% of schools were judged satisfactory. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves. In 2007-8, 5% of schools were judged inadequate.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a Key Stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: an overall measure of the pupils’ success in their academic learning. The term combines attainment and progress. Pupils might make good progress, for example, but if their attainment remains low, inspectors may judge that their achievement is only satisfactory.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school. 13 March 2009

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Inspection of Hepworth Junior and Infant school, Holmfirth, HD9 1TJ

It was a pleasure to inspect your school. You were all very friendly and helpful and I enjoyed finding out from you how much you enjoy learning. I am sure that you will be pleased to know that you have a good school.To give you some idea of what I thought were good aspects of your school, here are a few examples:

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Inspection of Hepworth Junior and Infant school, Holmfirth, HD9 1TJ

 Children in Reception get a good start and have many opportunities to learn with each other through play. You did have fun making your gingerbread men puppets and playing with them!  You continue to make good progress in all other years and, by the time you leave at the end of Year 6, you reach above average attainment in all your subjects. This is because the teaching you receive is good and you work very hard.  You really understand how and why you need to lead a healthy and safe lifestyle and most of you are thoughtful, well-behaved young people.  Members of the school council work hard to find out what you think. As a result, this has made your school even better.  You particularly like the wide range of extra-curricular events and take a full part in arts, sports and music activities.  All the adults who work in school take very good care of you. They make sure that everyone feels safe and secure.

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Inspection of Hepworth Junior and Infant school, Holmfirth, HD9 1TJ

There are some things that can help your school to be even better, so I have asked your headteacher and teachers to:

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Inspection of Hepworth Junior and Infant school, Holmfirth, HD9 1TJ

 set targets which challenge you even more, check targets each half term and share them with your parents  involve you more in checking how well you are doing in your work  make sure marked work always guides you to know what you need to do to improve.

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Inspection of Hepworth Junior and Infant school, Holmfirth, HD9 1TJ

Please continue to work hard and enjoy school, helping your teachers and support staff to make Hepworth an even better place in which to learn.

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Inspection of Hepworth Junior and Infant school, Holmfirth, HD9 1TJ

Clare Henderson Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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