Batley Grammar School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Batley Grammar School is a calm and welcoming environment. Its values of 'respect, community, resilience' are understood and shared across the school.

This is apparent from the polite way the youngest children speak to each other, to the pride of older pupils in being part of the combined cadet force.

In lessons, pupils concentrate and work hard. Behaviour systems have recently been strengthened.

This is helping to ensure that relationships between teachers and pupils are positive. Pupils in all years are confident that they will get help if they are worried about something. School council members at primary and secondary work together with adults to ensure p...upils have a voice in the development of the school.

Pupils take great pride in the history and tradition of the school and its buildings.

In all year groups, teachers receive clear information about pupils. They use this to ensure that in lessons, pupils are supported to do well and achieve their best.

For example, in the secondary phase, the development of the 'personalised learning centre' and the 'hub' mean that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the help they need to enjoy school and access a broad curriculum to prepare them for the future.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders' vision of a strong school community is realised in the design and provision of the school curriculum. The development of on-site alternatives for those pupils struggling with mainstream provision and the use of trust resources, such as the 'SMART' academy, ensure that the needs of all pupils are considered.

In primary, tailored adult support is targeted at disadvantaged pupils. This ensures all pupils can access the curriculum and supports the development of a culture of togetherness, which is evident across the school.

In most subjects, the curriculum identifies the most important knowledge pupils need.'

Connect' activities in lessons help pupils to remember what they learn. For example, primary-age pupils were enthusiastic when recalling learning about electric circuits in science. Older secondary-age pupils spoke with confidence about different artistic techniques they had learned about.

In some subjects, the curriculum does not precisely identify the specific knowledge pupils need to learn. Leaders also recognise they should strengthen the sharing of good practice across primary and secondary phases so there is more precision and purpose in how the curriculum builds from the early years to key stage 4. Sometimes, in early years, the design of play-based activities does not support the intention of the curriculum, for example in developing precise subject-specific vocabulary.

Support for those at the early stages of reading is strong across the school. For the youngest pupils, including children in early years, there is a strong foundation in phonics due to the expertise of staff and the consistency with which the phonics curriculum is delivered. Primary-age pupils are enthusiastic about the books they read.

They understand how class reading books connect to the curriculum they study in, for example, history. In the secondary provision, pupils are supported through different interventions to develop fluency, expression, comprehension and decoding. Identification of pupils' specific needs ensures this provision is targeted appropriately.

Attendance is strong. Strategies such as targeted phone calls support vulnerable pupils to come to school regularly. Attendance is rising for all groups, including disadvantaged pupils.

Teachers communicate their instructions and expectations clearly. Pupils understand the work they are asked to complete. This contributes to the positive relationships evident across the school.

An appropriate personal, social, health and economic education curriculum and careers programme are provided. In addition, the school uses employment fairs organised by the trust effectively. Primary-age pupils are invited to school-based careers events.

In secondary, there are opportunities for older pupils to work with their younger peers on reading activities. The school offers a range of activities for pupils such as the school production of 'Annie', which is currently in rehearsal. In the primary phase, pupils celebrate birthdays together.

These routines help to build a sense of friendship and respect in keeping with the school's ethos. Stronger oversight of the links between primary and secondary provision would help to create more purposeful opportunities for pupils to work together on different events.

Leaders, with effective support from the trust, have introduced the 'Stronger Together' forum for parents and carers.

This ensures the school builds productive partnerships for the benefit of pupils. Governors and trustees support the school's work to develop and enhance staff well-being programmes. Staff are proud to work at the school.

While the school is ambitious for all pupils, there are times when secondary and primary colleagues do not work as closely as they could, for example in designing the curriculum.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects in the curriculum, component knowledge is not precisely identified.

This means pupils cannot build a more sophisticated body of knowledge over time. Leaders should ensure that the important knowledge and skills pupils should learn are set out clearly in line with best practice in the school. ? In early years, some activities are not precise enough in their design to ensure pupils are taught appropriate knowledge to prepare them for key stage 1.

This means children are occasionally not as well prepared for key stage 1 as they could be. Leaders should ensure they design precise curriculum activities to support the learning of the most important knowledge for pupils. ? The connection between leadership of primary and secondary phases does not consistently ensure oversight of important aspects of school provision.

This includes, but is not limited to, personal development. This means there are differences in the quality of experience for pupils at primary and secondary. Leaders should ensure that they design and implement systems for strategic oversight and collaboration at all levels of school provision.