Todmorden CofE J, I & N School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Todmorden CofE J, I & N School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy everything about their school. They say that lessons are fun and interesting and they love the many opportunities they have to be physically active. They rise to the high expectations that leaders, governors and staff have for them.

They are proud of the school emblem of a kite bearing the words love, honesty, hope and perseverance. It embodies the aspiration of leaders that everyone will be 'soaring high together'.

Pupils are well-behaved and polite.

They are sensible when moving around school and look after each other in the playground. They work wit...h each other positively, discussing their learning in a mature manner. The way in which the younger pupils help each other to read is particularly impressive.

Bullying and name calling are rare. Pupils are confident that it will be sorted out if it does happen. Pupils have a highly developed sense of fairness and respect for others.

They take a dim view of anyone who is unkind to someone just because they are different to themselves.

Leaders want pupils to experience as much of the wider world as possible. They provide a wide range of enrichment activities and make sure that everyone can take part.

Pupils respect and care for others and the environment. They have raised huge amounts of money for causes that are important to them.

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

The curriculum is broad and ambitious for all pupils.

It is well sequenced from Years 1 to 6 in all subjects. Leaders have identified the smaller blocks of knowledge that they want pupils to learn and remember. This helps teachers to plan sequences of lessons that build on prior learning.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge and present information clearly in ways that interest pupils. Teachers identify gaps in pupils' learning. They make sure they recap and revisit knowledge until pupils remember it over time.

Leaders make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are included in all lessons. Adults check learning in lessons and help pupils to keep up. There is no ceiling on learning.

All pupils are challenged to go as far as they possibly can.

Children in the early years get off to a flying start in reading and mathematics. The curriculum in these subjects is designed to secure the building blocks for successful learning as children move into Year 1.

Children get to know numbers inside out. For example, they are able to quickly say all the combinations of numbers that make five. Subject leaders have not included the early years in curriculum plans for other subjects.

As a result, learning in other areas of the early years curriculum is not as strong and children are not as well prepared for Year 1 as they could be.

Reading is a high priority. Teachers read to pupils for enjoyment every day.

Pupils change the books they borrow from the well-stocked library every week. The pupil librarians wrap 'mystery' books in brown paper to entice other pupils to try them. Reading books for beginner readers closely match the phonic sounds they know.

This helps them to tackle their reading books with confidence and enjoyment. Every pupil in school reads to an adult at least once a week. Knowledgeable and well-trained staff give pupils extra help when they need it.

Teachers help pupils to build their mathematical knowledge gradually and securely. Pupils practise calculations every day before using their knowledge to solve problems. Pupils say that their 'soaring points' make them think harder.

Year 6 pupils investigate the properties of regular and irregular polygons. This helps them to calculate the size of different angles drawn inside polygons.

Pupils take their leadership responsibilities very seriously.

Pupils regularly lead worship assembly. They think very carefully about the content. For example, Year 4 pupils include a 'recipe for friendship' in their assembly.

The pupil librarians explain how they look after the library. The house captains say that they encourage others to take part in sport and help organise games in sports week. School councillors are involved in making plans to improve the playground.

Everyone is looking forward to these improvements.

Pupils enjoy the many school visits that are planned for them. The Year 6 pupils were looking forward to their 'mystery trip' and the Year 2 pupils were thrilled to be visiting the seaside.

They were extremely proud of the beautiful beach bags they had made. After-school activities are free for everyone and are changed regularly. Among the selection on offer at the time of the inspection were tabletop games, aerobics, mile-running club, rounders and quiz club.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are well trained to keep children safe. They know the risks that pupils face, particularly in the local context.

Leaders act swiftly to make sure pupils get help and support when they need it.Leaders have made sure that pupils have many avenues for seeking help from adults. Pupils trust the adults in school to help them if they have any worries.

Keeping safe is woven through the curriculum and is reinforced through assemblies and visits from organisations such as the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and the police. As a result, pupils can say what they should and should not do to keep safe, including online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In science and the foundation subjects, leaders have not identified the key knowledge they want children to learn in the early years.

This means that curriculum progression in these subjects is not as strong from the early years to Year 1 as it is from Year 1 onwards. Leaders should identify in these subjects the key knowledge they want children to know and remember to provide a firm foundation for learning across the curriculum.

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 on 13th September 2011.