Castledyke Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and proud to belong to a school that is valued as an important part of the local community. Pupils welcome visitors to their school.

The care that staff provide for pupils, parents and carers is highly evident.

Staff build strong relationships with parents right from the early years. Parents welcome and appreciate this level of care. The pastoral team helps families to access local services.

The school aspires for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve well. Children in the early years get off to a strong start. However, the school's ambition for pupils is not realised.

There... is much more work needed to ensure that the pupils at this school receive the high quality of education that they deserve.

The school has recently reviewed its behaviour policy. Subsequent changes are at an early stage of implementation.

Leaders recognise that there is more to do to ensure that their expectations for behaviour are made clear to pupils at all times. Pupils enjoy coming to school. The school has a supportive approach to managing pupils' attendance with families.

Pupils benefit from a range of extra-curricular clubs. They talk proudly about their leadership roles including well-being ambassadors and school councillors. Pupils understand their roles and value the leadership skills that they are developing.

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

The school is reviewing the curriculum to ensure that it is increasingly broad and balanced. These curriculum developments are at an early stage. The school has not consistently identified the important knowledge that pupils need to learn in all subjects.

In reading, staff have had training to help them to teach the curriculum well. This is not the case in other curriculum subjects. As a result, sometimes, teachers do not choose resources or activities that are well matched to what pupils need to learn.

This leaves gaps in pupils' knowledge.The phonics programme is taught consistently and effectively. The teaching of phonics starts in the early years.

Beyond phonics, whole class reading lessons are taught through high-quality texts. Pupils read accurately and with increasing fluency and expression. Pupils develop a secure understanding of the books that they are reading.

Books are well matched to pupils' reading ability. Pupils are supported by well-trained adults. Any misconceptions are quickly addressed.

Additional support is carefully thought out for those who need it.

The school's actions to improve the mathematics curriculum are less securely in place. There is variation in how well mathematics is taught.

Pupils do not build their mathematics skills and knowledge securely over time. The school is aware that more needs to be done for improvements to the mathematics curriculum to have a positive impact.

The school accurately identifies the needs of pupils with SEND.

However, systems to support these pupils are not fully developed and effective enough. Support is not sharply focused because targets for individual pupils are not matched well enough to their needs.

The early years curriculum is clearly sequenced from Nursery to Reception in all areas of learning.

Communication and language are prioritised. Vocabulary is deliberately identified and taught through a range of key texts. Activities are carefully chosen to engage children's interests, for example through seasonal walks.

Children talk about their learning with enthusiasm. They engage attentively with adults and each other during play. Children with SEND are supported effectively by adults who know them well.

Children, including those with SEND are well prepared for their move to Year 1

Pupils' behaviour and attitudes to learning are variable throughout school. In some lessons pupils listen well and are ready for learning, in other lessons pupils take time to settle. The school's expectations for pupils' behaviour are not clearly and consistently established by adults in lessons and around school.

There is a well thought out offer for personal development that starts in the early years. The curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE) is well planned and sequenced. There is a strong focus on ensuring pupils know how to stay safe through the carefully adapted 'Keeping Safe' curriculum.

The school has strong links with the police who often lead workshops in school to make pupils aware of how to stay safe in the local area. Pupils also learn about different types of families and what a healthy relationship is. Pupils have a secure understanding of what it means to be healthy, both physically and mentally.

Topics are taught in an age-appropriate way.

The federation has an ambitious vision for the school. It is committed to improving the school.

Leaders, including governors have prioritised the most important actions required to improve the quality of education pupils receive. These actions are starting to have a positive impact on pupils at the school. Staff are positive about the impact that the recent changes have had on their workload.

They value the current focus on their professional development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In most subjects, the school has not identified the important knowledge that it wants pupils to learn.

This means that, from Years 1 to 6, pupils are not able to build effectively on what they already know. The school must set out clearly the important knowledge that pupils need to learn in each year group. ? Activities and resources are not matched well enough to the knowledge that the school wants pupils to learn.

This means that some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and understanding. The school should ensure that staff are given the training and support that they need to enhance their subject knowledge and select resources and activities that will help pupils to build their knowledge step by step in each subject. ? The mathematics curriculum is not implemented well enough.

Pupils do not secure the knowledge and skills they need to do well in mathematics or to complete more complex tasks. The school should ensure that staff are trained to implement the mathematics curriculum to meet all pupils' needs so that they achieve well. ? The systems and processes to support pupils with SEND are not rigorous enough.

The targets set for pupils with SEND are not sufficiently accurate. This means, pupils with SEND do not receive the support and intervention that they need to access the curriculum well. The school needs to ensure that clear plans for support and interventions are in place so that pupils with SEND receive the support that they need in a timely manner.

• The school's new approach to managing pupils' behaviour is not fully understood by staff and pupils. As a result, behaviour in lessons and at unstructured times of the day is inconsistent. The school should ensure that all staff are trained to follow the agreed behaviour policy consistently and that a culture of high expectations is embedded.