Ossett South Parade Primary

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Ossett South Parade Primary continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Ossett South Parade Primary is an inclusive, friendly and welcoming school.

Pupils are polite, considerate and engage comfortably in conversation with adults. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They value the care that they receive from adults.

Relationships between pupils and staff are highly positive and respectful.

Pupils meet the school's high expectations for behaving well and working hard. Pupils are impeccably behaved in all areas of school life.

Activities in lessons are varied and capture pupils' interest. Pupils play purposefully outside. They value the... rewards that they receive in the weekly celebration assembly, including the wonderful writer, marvellous mathematician and prestigious 'get spotted' awards.

Pupils value the varied set of experiences on offer. One pupil said, 'There's a lesson for everything. Every day is different.'

. Pupils are encouraged to think for themselves and be responsible in their own community and the wider world. Pupils are proud of their leadership roles, including school councillors and well-being champions.

Pupils recognise the value of these roles.

Pastoral support is of high quality. High priority is given to supporting pupils' emotional needs.

Pupils are safe. They know who to talk to when they are upset or worried. Everyone is welcome at Ossett South Parade Primary.

Pupils recognise that 'we are all different but we are all equal.' This approach underpins the inclusive nature of the school.

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

The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

It is appropriately sequenced and leaders have identified the key knowledge that they want pupils to learn. The detailed subject stories in science, history and geography have been carefully thought out to ensure knowledge is built over time. Other subjects, including religious education and computing, are being developed to ensure that the same level of detail has been considered.

The curriculum starts in early years with a well-sequenced approach from Nursery to Reception. Strong foundations are established and children are ready for the demands of Year 1.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge.

Key vocabulary is specifically taught in lessons. Assessment is used consistently to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge. This starts in the early years.

Subject leaders have an accurate view of how pupils are achieving. Pupils talk positively about their learning. Pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well.

The identification of pupils with SEND is rigorous and starts in the early years. Leaders are dedicated to ensuring that pupils with SEND receive the support that they need. The support plans for pupils with SEND have been carefully thought out to ensure that provision is personalised and adapted for individual pupils.

Pupils with SEND are successful because these strategies are well placed to support them.

Leaders are passionate about ensuring pupils learn to read. Phonics is taught consistently by well-trained adults.

Staff hold pupils' interest in lessons. Books are well matched to the sounds that pupils know. Pupils quickly learn to read confidently, accurately and with increasing fluency.

Any gaps in their knowledge are swiftly identified. A range of personalised interventions are used to support pupils to catch up. However, the teaching of reading beyond phonics is not as rigorous.

Some pupils do not make the progress that they should. The school has recognised this is an area for improvement. The reading knowledge that the school wants pupils to learn needs to be carefully thought out.

Children get off to a strong start in early years. The ambitious curriculum is seen in action in both Nursery and Reception. Children engage in play independently.

Strong routines are firmly established. This ensures children are safe and comfortable in the highly stimulating environment. Children are resilient.

They persevere with challenging tasks. For example, during the inspection, children worked together to make a safe place for the gingerbread man, so he could escape from the fox.

The strong culture of high expectations for behaviour starts in Nursery.

Pupils know the consequences for pupils whose behaviour is not as expected. Poor behaviour is rare. Pupils are encouraged to manage their own behaviour.

They access support when they need it, including the 'power-up corner' and the 'calm corner'.

The school's provision for pupils' wider development is strong. There are many opportunities for pupils to engage in activities that promote their spiritual, moral, cultural and social development.

The school focuses on developing pupils' aspirations. Pupils are encouraged to think about how the curriculum links to future careers. Parents and carers appreciate, and pupils benefit from, the many clubs and educational visits on offer.

Staff are positive about curriculum developments. They welcome the training and professional development from leaders. They appreciate the measures that leaders have put in place to support workload.

Staff value the planned approach to well-being, including the 'well-being day'. Governors are very knowledgeable about the school. They have a clear understanding of its strengths and required next steps.

They have a proactive approach to managing workload so staff can focus on teaching.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's reading curriculum beyond phonics is not rigorous enough.

As a result, pupils are not making as much progress in reading as they should. The school needs to develop a clearly sequenced approach to teaching reading beyond phonics to ensure that pupils' progress in reading improves.

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

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

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2013.