Batley Parish CofE Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have involved the school community in creating the school's vision and values. These values, alongside a class text, influence the school's curriculum. Some aspects of the curriculum are well planned, such as mathematics and phonics.

Other areas of the wider curriculum lack structure and organisation.

Pupils have a positive approach to learning and begin tasks quickly. Teachers are consistent in using the 'stop sign' as part of their classroom routines to gain pupils' attention.

There are high expectations from all staff around pupils' behaviour.

Pupils could define what bullying is. They take part in 'Anti-Bullying Week' and know that it hel...ps them to understand the different types of bullying.

Pupils talk about how adults help them to be kind, good friends and to treat others with respect. Pupils are confident in their belief teachers supported them to be good people. Pupils know how to be good citizens within the school, and this is beginning to extend into the community.

Children in the early years have a positive start to school life at Batley Parish. Leaders plan the early years curriculum to specifically meet the needs of these children.

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

Leaders have developed a curriculum based around a class text.

This is the starting point for each term's curriculum. Teachers use purchased schemes to teach some subjects such as science and computing. Other subjects, such as history, geography and art, are being developed by the school's curriculum leaders These subjects are not clearly sequenced and the knowledge and vocabulary pupils are taught is not defined because it is decided by the class teacher.

As a result, curriculum leaders are not assured that pupils have the prior knowledge that will prepare them for the next stage in these subjects. Teachers are beginning to identify gaps in knowledge during lessons and at the end of units. Leaders have started to develop an assessment system to check on pupils' progress, but this is not yet in use.

Some curriculum leaders are new to the role of leading, developing and monitoring a subject. Leaders had planned training; however, this was postponed due to COVID-19. Leaders need to ensure curriculum leaders receive coaching to help them gain a good understanding of how their subject should progress over time.

The teaching of phonics is a strength of the school. Leaders recently introduced a new scheme. There is consistency in the delivery and language used by all staff.

Reading books match the sounds pupils know. Pupils in the early years and key stage 1 who find phonics tricky, catch up through extra daily interventions. However, pupils in key stage 2 who are not secure with their phonics, have not received any intervention this academic year.

Leaders have plans to address this as a matter of urgency.Curriculum planning is organised and sequenced in mathematics. An external scheme supports the sequencing of lessons.

There is a clear lesson structure to support a consistent approach to teaching mathematics. However, this is not replicated in the use of mathematical language, which is inconsistent. This links to weaknesses in teachers' subject knowledge.

Children in the early years receive a carefully considered curriculum from Nursery to the end of Reception. The early years teachers understand how to provide well-sequenced experiences for the children. There is a focus on using stories to develop children's vocabulary.

Teachers choose activities and resources to enhance and support learning especially in early reading and mathematics. Children identified as at risk of not meeting the end of early years goals receive extra support to keep up with their peers.The special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCo) has redesigned the format for the 'My Support Plans' that contain the targets for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The class teacher, SENDCo and pupils' parents review these three times a year. However, looking at samples of pupils' work, the tasks pupils are given are not well matched to their targets. For example, a pupil who needed to practice multiplying by two, five and ten had tasks linked to the three, four and eight times tables.

This means pupils with SEND are not always accessing activities that match their needs and ensure they make progress.The local authority has provided the school with support since 2018. This has not secured the necessary improvements to sequence the wider curriculum.

The diocese has supported leaders to develop their distinctive Christian vision and values. The governing body is now strategic in how it plans the link governor visits. These visits ensure governors can hold leaders at all levels to account.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff and governors attend annual safeguarding training. Leaders use scenarios as part of the recruitment process to ensure staff have a good understanding of safeguarding risks.

Leaders have an intimate care policy to safeguard staff who support the youngest children with their toileting needs. Pupils can report safeguarding concerns to a trusted adult within the school. Leaders use school assemblies to remind pupils of this.

During the inspection, a safeguarding incident occurred. Leaders demonstrated that they could reflect and appropriately respond to the incident with risk assessments and interim plans.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some subjects in the wider curriculum are not planned well.

This means some subjects do not enable pupils to learn more, understand more and remember more in a progressive way. Without this curriculum thinking, pupils will not have the right prior knowledge to build upon. Leaders should assure themselves that knowledge, skills and vocabulary build over time in the wider curriculum.

• The subject knowledge of some staff is weak, especially across the wider curriculum. Some curriculum leaders are new to subject leadership and need support and training to develop their expertise. COVID-19 and staff's absence affected staff's training and development.

Leaders should ensure that teachers' subject knowledge improves so that pupils are not disadvantaged. ? Leaders have not implemented an assessment system for the wider curriculum. This is currently in development.

Leaders do not have any pupils' progress information for the wider curriculum. Leaders should ensure they use the assessment system to influence future curriculum thinking. ? Some targets for pupils with SEND do not match their current level of need.

As a result, tasks for pupils with SEND are not always well matched. Evidence in books indicated that some pupils with SEND are given tasks at a higher level than the 'My Support Plan' targets suggest. Leaders should ensure that targets and all activities match the pupils' current needs to ensure they make progress.