Kirkburton Church of England Voluntary Aided First School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Kirkburton Church of England Voluntary Aided First School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy and feel safe at this school.

Their behaviour in lessons and at social times is polite, respectful and calm. Pupils enjoy spending time in each other's company and have very positive relationships with adults. One pupil told inspectors that the school is 'happy, joyful and beautiful'.

Pupils are confident that they can speak to an adult if they are worried or anxious. Pupils are not worried about bullying. This is because the 'golden values' of the school help to build a respectful atmosphere where bullying is not tolerated.<...br/>
Leaders ensure that older pupils have opportunities to develop leadership skills by becoming 'playtime leaders' or by helping younger children with reading. When inspectors visited, some pupils were looking forward to a trip to the Great Yorkshire Show.

Leaders are ambitious for and have high expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils enjoy lessons because teachers care about them and praise their efforts. This is helping pupils to develop their confidence.

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

Leaders have developed a strong curriculum in many areas.

Reading and mathematics are particular examples. Leaders' ambition is for all pupils to learn to read quickly. Teachers' consistent approach to teaching reading is helping to achieve this aim.

Pupils enjoy reading and spoke to inspectors enthusiastically about the books they read. The weakest readers get help quickly to ensure that they catch up with their peers. In early years and key stage 1, children enjoy phonics lessons.

All staff that teach reading have received recent training to help them do this effectively. Reading leaders have taken care to ensure that books in school are well matched to the phonics knowledge that pupils have learned.

Some subjects in the curriculum, such as history, are not as well developed.

Leaders are aware of this. They are already working on plans to create stronger sequences of learning in these subjects.

Pupils with SEND are well supported in lessons.

This is because teachers make good use of the information that is shared with them about pupils' needs. Leaders also work well with external agencies so that staff are well trained. For example, recent training about supporting pupils with social and emotional needs is helping to ensure that teachers can help children that may have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In many subjects, pupils are helped to remember what they learn because teachers make regular checks on learning. They then adapt the curriculum when they identify gaps. In mathematics, the consistent use of recall strategies means that pupils are confident to speak about their prior learning.

This is not yet consistent across all subjects in the curriculum. In those subjects which are less well developed, teachers do not check regularly enough that pupils are remembering previous learning.

In lessons, pupils focus well on what they are learning.

Caring relationships between pupils and adults mean that pupils persevere when they find things difficult. Low-level disruption is kept to a minimum. Teachers deal with any behaviour issues quickly.

Leaders' design of the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum ensures that pupils understand the diversity of the world around them. Pupils enjoy the responsibilities that they are given. Under the supervision of adults, older pupils help younger children with climbing equipment.

Cultural events such as celebrating the recent platinum jubilee help pupils learn about British society and culture.

Staff are positive about recent developments to help them manage their workload. Leaders are approachable and listen to their concerns.

Governors take steps to ensure that they gather the views of staff. Staff appreciate this. As a result of this, staff are positive about working at the school.

They know what leaders' plans are to improve the school and are ready to play their part in moving the school forward. Governors are well informed about recent school developments.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils feel safe at school. Teachers have a good understanding of local safeguarding risks. Adults across the school can explain the signs they would look for that might indicate a child is at risk.

Leaders work with external agencies to ensure pupils get the help they need.

Safeguarding is a standing item at staff meetings and in weekly bulletins. This ensures that it is a prominent issue for staff.

Governors have systems in place to seek assurance about safeguarding procedures. Some aspects of record-keeping in the single central record are not as precise as they should be.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects in the wider curriculum, planning is not clearly sequenced.

This means that pupils do not build knowledge that builds on their prior learning in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that all subjects have clear, well-sequenced curriculum plans in place. ? Teachers do not consistently check what pupils have learned in a small number of subjects.

In these subjects, pupils have gaps in their learning. Leaders should ensure that regular checks are made so that teachers know what pupils have learned and remembered. ? The procedures around the administration of some aspects of safeguarding are not robust enough.

This means that those responsible for the oversight of safeguarding cannot easily navigate and use these documents. Leaders should ensure that all safeguarding documentation is precisely kept.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2012.