St Andrew's CofE (VA) Junior School

Age group 7–11 Inspection date(s) 5–6 November 2008 Inspection number 331422 St Andrew's Church of England (Aided) Junior School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 107547 Local Authority Calderdale Inspection number 331422 Inspection dates 5–6 November 2008 Reporting inspector Eileen M Mulgrew HMI

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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 .

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Type of school Primary School category Voluntary Aided Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number on roll School (total) 261 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr Ian Knowles Headteacher Mr Peter O’Hare Date of previous school inspection March 2006 School address Waterloo Road Brighouse West Yorkshire HD6 2AN Telephone number 01484 712895 Fax number 01484 381069 Email address head@standrews.calderdale.sch.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 of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and an Additional Inspector.

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Introduction

The inspectors visited 13 lessons and held meetings with staff, pupils, parents, and a local authority officer and had a discussion with the chair of governors. They observed the school’s work and looked at documents including the school’s self- evaluation, plans for further improvement, nationally published data and the school’s own records of progress over time. The inspection team also took account of the 95 parental questionnaires returned to them.

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Introduction

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

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Introduction

 the past progress of pupils, especially the apparent drop in standards in mathematics in 2007  teaching and learning  the changes in the curriculum and the impact on achievement  the effectiveness of leadership and management.

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Information about the school

The school serves an area of relative economic and social advantage, although a minority of pupils attending the school are not from the immediate surrounding area. There has been a slight increase in the numbers of pupils attending the school since the last inspection. There is also an increase in the number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. A slightly larger than average proportion of pupils joins the school other than in Year 3. Over the last few years, the school has experienced staff changes at the upper end of the school.

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Information about the school

The school has received several awards: Investors in People, Investors in Pupils, Healthy Schools, Dyslexia Friendly, Activemark, Information and Communication Technology Mark and Artsmark Silver.

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other schools

School size 261 Above average Free school meals 10% Below average Proportions of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities 29% Above average

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other schools

Proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups 5% Below average

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other schools

Proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language 2% Below average

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other schools

Proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs 2% Average

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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 with some outstanding features. It is a happy school where pupils feel valued, cared for and enjoy their education. Staff work very closely as a team and are committed to securing the best possible care and learning for the pupils they serve. The school has improved steadily over the last five years, resulting in the numbers of pupils wanting a place being greater than the number of places available. The school has a good reputation in the community and has strong links with the local church. As an inclusive school it accepts pupils who sometimes find it hard to settle elsewhere, and supports them to achieve very well. The school has identified areas which need to be tackled and has implemented action to achieve its ambitions. Capacity to improve is good. Pupils describe each other as happy, joyful, friendly, lively and fun; having talked to many of the pupils during the visit, the inspectors would

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

Raise standards at the end of Key Stage 2 by:  embedding the creative curriculum to improve progression of pupils’ skills  developing personalised learning for pupils  extending assessment systems in the creative curriculum to check on pupils’ progress in all subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

Build on existing practice to increase the proportion of teaching which results in high paced learning and exceptional progress by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 sharing observations of lessons and an analysis of the findings  focussing on the level of challenge in the lesson to extend pupils’ learning and develop their understanding  keeping pupils involved in learning.

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2

Overall achievement is good. Pupils make good progress, although standards at the end of Key Stage 2 in English, mathematics and science are average. In the national tests in 2007, fewer pupils than expected reached Level 4 in mathematics. The school identified the reasons for this and took swift action to remedy the situation. As a result, the school recorded its best ever results for this subject in 2008 and maintained performance in English and science. Particular groups of pupils make excellent progress, especially those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. This is due to the well targeted support for vulnerable pupils. Taking all groups together, pupils make good progress. Pupils show enjoyment, interest and enthusiasm for their work and take care to present work neatly.

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2

Pupils are well behaved, polite and caring to each other. Good attendance and punctuality reflect their good attitude to school. Pupils enthusiastically apply for, and are interviewed for, the many roles of responsibility, such as elected members of the school council, lunchtime secretary, Befrienders, playtime leaders and tuck shop monitors. Through carrying out these roles they understand their contribution to the school community and are developing skills needed in the workplace.

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2

The school’s own surveys show that a high percentage of pupils feel safe in school. The many pupils who talked to the inspectors were confident that any incidents of bullying are rare and dealt with promptly and fairly. Pupils feel listened to and are very secure in the belief that their opinions and ideas are acted upon. If troubled, pupils felt any adult in the school would listen to them and help them to sort out the problem.

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2

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes How well do pupils achieve and enjoy their learning? 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 Pupils’ attainment 1 3 To what extent do pupils feel safe? 1 How well do pupils behave? 2 To what extent do pupils adopt healthy lifestyles? 2 To what extent do pupils contribute to the school and wider community? 2 How well do pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being? Pupils’ attendance and punctuality 2 What is the extent of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development? 2

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2

1 Grades for attainment are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; 4 is low

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The quality of the school’s work

The school’s good creative curriculum uses the local community as its starting point, engages pupils’ interest and captures their imagination. Visits or visitors are included in each topic, which include practical tasks and opportunities for pupils to take responsibility for their own learning. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the topics covered, the links between different subjects and the increased amount of art and music they learn. For example, a dance lesson incorporated development of pupils’ vocabulary, their listening skills, music appreciation and discussion linked to the topic of ‘Tardis Travel’ resulting in pupils creating an impressive robot dance. While there are positive signs, it is too early to judge whether pupils are now making greater progress or standards are improving.

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The quality of the school’s work

Class teachers of the same year group plan lessons together to ensure that all pupils are given the same activities and the same opportunities. As a result, lesson planning is thorough and consistent. Pupils have good relationships with their teachers and respond positively by concentrating, enjoying their work and making good progress. Highly skilled teaching assistants provide well targeted extra support to pupils with additional needs, resulting in them making excellent progress. Lessons are particularly effective when pace is brisk, pupils are active and they are challenged to explain their thinking. However, the challenge in lessons is not always consistently or well enough focused.

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The quality of the school’s work

The school’s strong and positive ethos underpins the high quality care and support provided for pupils. The school’s system for checking on pupils’ progress is very thorough; the information gained is carefully collated and shared with staff. Consequently, they know what pupils need to do to move on in their learning, share this with individual pupils and plan effective activities.

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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 and academic guidance 1 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 successfully leads an enthusiastic team of staff committed to the vision of providing ‘Excellence in a Caring Community’. The leadership team have effectively developed a school culture in which all contributions are valued. Staff and governors constantly strive to improve pupils’ learning and enjoyment of the opportunities provided. As a result, the trend of performance has improved year-on- year. Generally the school has met its targets, and reasons for any dips have been quickly identified and remedied. Leaders and managers conduct a range of monitoring activities of all aspects of the school’s work, for example regular monitoring of teaching and learning which provides staff with helpful feedback on their practice. Findings are rigorously analysed, leading to a generally accurate picture of what the school is doing well and where it could do better. For example, after the 2007 results, it correctly identified that it was time to review the curriculum

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How effective are leadership and management?

to further improve pupils’ performance. The school’s excellent partnerships with other schools and the community were pivotal in planning the new curriculum. As a result, the school has successfully expanded its links with other providers and organisations.

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How effective are leadership and management?

Governors are well informed. The chair of governors and senior leaders meet frequently and subject governors meet with subject leaders. Some governors have particular links with a class and a display in the hall includes a pen portrait of each governor so that pupils would know them a little better. As a result, all governors are well placed to support and challenge the work of the school.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for leadership and management Monitoring, evaluating and planning for improvement to outcomes for pupils 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 involvement in decision-making about matters relating to learning and well-being Developing partnerships with other providers, organisations and services 1 Ensuring the school contributes to community cohesion 2 Deploying resources to achieve value for money 2

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Views of parents and carers

Almost all parents who responded to the questionnaire agreed that the school keeps their child safe, deals effectively with any incidents of unacceptable behaviour and felt their child enjoyed school. A large majority were positive in their support for the school’s overall efforts. Parents particularly value the support given to those with additional needs, and recognise that the more able also make good progress. They also appreciate the creative aspects of the school’s work and the active involvement of pupils in their learning. Some parents expressed concerns about the lack of communication on how well their children are making progress. The school is aware of these concerns and has plans to tackle the issue.

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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 2006-7, 14% 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 2006-7, 46% of schools were judged good. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing for its pupils suitably. In 2006-7, 34% of schools were judged satisfactory. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves. In 2006-7, 6% 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. 7 November 2008

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Brighouse HD6 2AN

As you know we recently visited your school to see how well you are learning. On behalf of the inspection team I would like to thank you for making us feel so welcome and talking to us about St Andrew’s. You were all very friendly and greeted us with lots of smiles. I would like to offer a special thank you to the children who gave up some of their playtime to meet me. You told me so much about your school which helped me very much. I particularly enjoyed hearing you sing during your assembly.

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Brighouse HD6 2AN

We think your school gives you a good education and it has some outstanding features. These are the things we found best about it.

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Brighouse HD6 2AN

 The excellent way in which the progress you make in your work is checked and the information is used to let you know how well you are doing in your work.  You feel very safe and happy in school because everyone takes very good care of you, especially those of you who find work difficult.  Most of your parents are happy that you to go to St Andrew’s.  Most of you work as hard as you can and take pride in your achievements.  Some of your teachers give you really interesting work which helps you to make lots of progress.  All the teachers and the school’s governors are working hard to make improvements for you.

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Brighouse HD6 2AN

We have asked your headteacher and teachers to use the new creative curriculum to help you take responsibility for your own learning, to increase your skills across all your subjects and for your teachers to check that this is happening. We have also asked that your teachers share ideas so that all of you can have lots of exciting and challenging work to do.

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Brighouse HD6 2AN

You can help by telling your teachers the topics you would like to learn about and when you are ready to move on with your learning.

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Brighouse HD6 2AN

We hope you continue to enjoy your learning at St Andrew’s.

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Brighouse HD6 2AN

Eileen M Mulgrew Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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