A primary school has been told the quality of its education, leadership and early years provision are inadequate.
Linthwaite Clough Junior, Infant and Early Years School at Linthwaite, Huddersfield, was visited by Ofsted inspectors who have now rated the school’s overall effectiveness as ‘inadequate’. Inspectors found that the school’s curriculum was not meeting the needs of pupils.
Ofsted said the school’s expectations about what pupils should learn and do “are too low” and pupils with special needs do not get the support they need to become confident learners.
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A report from Ofsted, published on November 16, said: “Leaders have put plans in place to improve the behaviour of pupils in the school. These are beginning to have an impact. Most pupils treat each other with kindness and respect. However, adults’ expectations of how pupils should behave in lessons and around school are not consistent. In some classes, pupils’ behaviour disrupts the learning of others. Bullying is rare. When bullying does happen, adults make sure that it stops. Pupils are happy and safe in this school.”
The report noted that the school provided pupils with many opportunities to explore their interests, with some taking part in a dance with Pride in Linthwaite, a community group, while some pupils take a lead as ‘well-being warriors’.
Ofsted said the curriculum “is not sufficiently ambitious”.
“The improvements that are taking place in some subjects are not evident elsewhere in the curriculum. In early years, children do not benefit from a curriculum that sets the necessary foundations for future learning. The school has not considered adequately the order in which children should learn new things. This leads to ineffective learning. In many areas of the curriculum, pupils are not well prepared for the next stage of their education.”
The report said that phonics was not being taught consistently well. When pupils fall behind, they too often do not receive the help that they need to help them catch up, it added.
“The school has invested in a range of reading materials for pupils to read for pleasure. However, these books are not consistently matched to pupils’ reading abilities.”
On safeguarding, Ofsted said the arrangements were effective. However, there were “gaps in recording-keeping” which mean that leaders and governors cannot check the impact of the school’s work to safeguard pupils.
The report said: “The school does not check the safety and well-being of pupils who are educated off-site carefully enough. The school should make sure that these checks are routinely made, so that staff are assured that the pupils are safe.
“The school’s recording of its work to safeguard pupils is not sufficient. There are many gaps in these records. The school should make sure that safeguarding procedures are tightened, so that concerns and actions are fully and consistently recorded.”
The school has 283 pupils on the roll, aged from three to 11. It was previously rated a ‘good’ school. It’s overall effectiveness has now been rated ‘inadequate’.
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