‘Behave’ is Ofsted verdict
Many pupils don’t take pride in work, say inspectors
CONCERNS have been raised that poor behaviour is disrupting learning at a Huddersfield junior school.
School inspectors from Ofsted have ruled that Newsome Junior School ‘requires improvement’ overall and in key areas including behaviour and the quality of education.
Although attendance and behaviour have improved over time, an Ofsted report said: “Many pupils do not have a positive attitude to learning.
“They do not take pride in their work. They are quickly put off if they find that their work is tricky.”
The report said that the Newsome school is very welcoming and that staff care about all the pupils.
But it continued: “However, over time, leaders have not had high enough expectations for what pupils can achieve.
“Some staff do not insist that pupils try hard. They allow them to produce work that is less than their best.”
Inspectors noted that pupils are generally well behaved at break times but “poor behaviour of some pupils in lessons stops the learning of others.”
It added: “The behaviour of some pupils is having a negative impact on their learning and that of their peers.
“This is because some teachers do not have the skills they need to manage behaviour effectively.
“They need training and support so that they are able to implement the new behaviour policy consistently. Some pupils need to know that disruptive behaviour is not acceptable.”
Leaders have improved the teaching of maths but progress and attainment in reading remain poor.
“Some pupils are not fluent readers when they come to the school,” the report said.
“These pupils need to do more work on phonics. However, most teachers and teaching assistants are not well trained to teach phonics. This means that these pupils do not receive the support they need to help them catch up.”
Inspectors were impressed with the school’s work on personal development which they rated as ‘good’.
In 2017 Ofsted said the school ‘requires improvement’, a fall from the ‘ outstanding’ rating given in 2009.
The school has 221 on the school roll, with ages ranging from seven to 11.
Headteacher Jane Fraser – who also oversees Berry Brow Infant and Nursery School – told the that the inspectors had acknowledged positive action taken over the past two years.
She added: “We were delighted that our work to support children in their personal development was highly commended in the report and that we received a ‘good’ grade in this section.
“This is testament to the nurture, environment and wider opportunities that the children receive from our fantastic and inclusive team.
“As the new Federation Headteacher, it was wonderful to hear the inspectors acknowledging all the positive actions that have been taken over the last two years and I look forward to working with the whole school community to improve our provision further and realise the high aspirations we have for all the children at Newsome Junior School.”