Cobden Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Cobden Primary School is a caring community. Adults make sure pupils feel safe and help them if they have a worry.

Pupils can be respectful to adults and each other. Sometimes though, adult instructions are not clear. Pupils are unsure of what is expected of them.

They do not always follow the rules and behave well. In lessons, teachers present activities to pupils in a way that makes it difficult for pupils to stay engaged and learn key knowledge.

Pupils talk about special events they have taken part in such as a local triathlon.

They know they were resilient when riding their bikes in wet clothes. Pupils understand the importance of keeping healthy... by choosing the correct foods to eat. Pupils know how to have good mental health.

In lessons, pupils learn the internet safety rules.

At breaktimes and lunchtimes, pupils like to play with the equipment or take part in games, such as football. Elected house captains help to put equipment out and play games with younger pupils.

Bullying is rare but adults help to resolve it quickly if it happens.

There are trips that pupils attend linked to what they are learning about in class. For example, on a visit to Farnley Hall, pupils learned about how everyone lived in the Victorian times.

Pupils can discuss different faiths such as Christianity and Sikhism. They can recall some of the stories linked to these faiths. There are opportunities to vote for school council members.

Pupils know how to treat others equally.

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

Leaders have taken the time to develop a well-planned curriculum. What pupils need to learn is broken down into small steps.

In all subjects, each step builds upon the last. Teachers identify prior knowledge pupils need to know before they teach something new. Despite the curriculum being well planned, teachers do not always choose the best activities to help pupils remember well.

Subject leaders are able to talk through their curriculum structure. In science, curriculum thinking is stronger. Senior leaders have put in place a lesson structure they have asked teachers to use.

In subjects, such as history, teachers are unclear about what this should be and do not follow it. In lessons, teachers present too much information. There is little time given to build up prior knowledge or connect to new knowledge.

Pupils spend a long time listening and waiting. They become restless and do not always show positive behaviours. Subject leaders need to develop teachers' understanding of what their expectation is.

Assessment is not used effectively in some subjects. Pupils finish quickly and are not moved on.

The mathematics curriculum planning meets national curriculum requirements.

Teachers reinforce mathematical language and pupils use this. Pupils become fluent mathematicians in calculating. However, there is not enough dedicated time for pupils to solve problems.

Pupils find this more difficult so they do not always work at the expectation for their age group.

Appropriate end goals are in place for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Adults are perceptive to the needs of these pupils.

Pupils are able to access learning within their class and in small groups. However, in these sessions, the curriculum is not always adapted enough to ensure pupils can learn well.

Learning to read starts straight away.

Since the last inspection, leaders have put in place a new system to teach children to learn to read. Pupils read books that are matched with the sounds that they know. The phonics system is not fully embedded in lessons and in catch up sessions.

Adults do not always present the phonic sounds in the same way. They stop for interruptions and take too long to work through the sounds. Links to writing are made through the phonics.

Pupils are unsure of what letters look like as adults do not give them examples. Pupils find it difficult to write what they are expected to. Leaders are aware that they need to continue to train adults to teach the phonics system accurately.

There is therefore, not yet an improvement in outcomes for most pupils.

Pupils develop a love of reading, through class books they are read to by their teachers. Older pupils speak about titles of books and authors they have read.

Teachers encourage pupils to read by giving them a raffle ticket for every occasion. If their ticket is picked out in the end of term draw, pupils can win a book. Pupils look forward to this.

In the early years, there is a planned curriculum which prepares pupils well for Year 1. Teachers use small steps to build children's knowledge securely. They make sure that all adults know what vocabulary children should learn.

In lessons, children learn stories, rhymes and practise their speaking and listening. Children concentrate well on the task they are given. Outside, they excitedly use warm water to melt the ice and get the glitter out of the ice using paintbrushes.

Leaders have designed a carefully considered personal, social, health and education (PSHE) curriculum to support pupils' well-being. Staff use this curriculum to teach pupils about the specific risks in their local community.

Governors have taken time to understand what the priorities are in this school.

There is a shared desire to ensure this school achieves ambitious standards across the curriculum for all pupils. They check on the improvements that are being made. However, this is not always done quickly enough to make sure impact happens sooner.

Governors need to make sure they are taking a strategic role in holding leaders to account all of the time.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured safeguarding systems are well embedded in the school.

All adults take part in an annual training programme. They know how this training will help them to spot pupils who may be vulnerable or at risk. Leaders work with local partners to make sure that appropriate support is in place for all pupils and their families.

They understand the risk their pupils may face. Leaders ensure all adults who work and visit the school have undergone the correct checks needed. Safer recruitment training has been completed by a number of senior leaders.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Adults have not been trained sufficiently well to teach the new phonics scheme. Pupils take too long to become fluent readers and not enough meet the national standard in phonics. Leaders now need to train all adults well enough to make sure further improvements in outcomes in phonics are made.

• Pupils do not retain the key knowledge that leaders are expecting them to learn. In lessons teachers do not chose the best tasks or sequences to help pupils to remember this knowledge. Subject leaders need to work with teachers more to make they understand the most appropriate tasks to use.

• Teachers are unclear on exactly what pupils need to know and when. This means pupils do not always make effective links to build upon what they already know. Subject leaders must develop and embed accurate assessment processes that ensure prior learning is effectively built upon and new learning delivered consistently well across all classes.

• Pupils with SEND cannot always access the planned tasks so they can learn the intended knowledge. In lessons these pupils do not stay on tasks and become distracted. Leaders need to use assessments so that tasks are well planned for these learners with appropriate adaptations to allow them to access the learning.