'Snitching' peer pressure at Huddersfield school stops pupils speaking out
Peer pressure from older pupils at a Huddersfield school is preventing some pupils from speaking out about issues they are facing, according to Ofsted.
Pupils at Oak Church of England Primary School in Crosland Moor often do not tell staff when issues arise as they see this as 'snitching', with peer pressure from older children 'consolidating this belief', according to Ofsted. The education watchdog has been carrying out monitoring visits because the school was placed in 'special measures' having been judged to be inadequate in October 2022.
In a letter to the headteacher, Melanie Garlick, published by Ofsted this month, inspector Andrea Batley noted that school leaders have made progress to improve the school, but more work is necessary for the school to be no longer judged as needing special measures.
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Ofsted said work on developing the foundation curriculum subjects was continuing, and subject leaders were growing in confidence, with the focus on developing subject experts starting to pay off.
"This is due to the training and support they are receiving from leaders and external advisers." However, Ofsted said that many pupils still had gaps in their learning which was reflected in pupils' 'weak outcomes'.
Inspectors also raised concerns around behaviour management and the high number of suspensions for poor behaviour. The letter said: "On the first monitoring visit, changes had been made to policies around behaviour management.
"The school was found to be increasingly calm and orderly. Senior leaders continue to be determined to embed new systems and approaches, which focus on individual pupils’ needs and put restorative practice at the heart of how inappropriate behaviours are managed.
"However, during this visit, it became apparent that this practice is not fully understood by several staff members or by pupils. While little low-level disturbance was seen, all pupils spoken to said that behaviour is, at times, disruptive and often inappropriate.
"There are still high incidences of suspensions for inappropriate behaviour, although this has improved from last year. Pupils often do not tell staff when issues arise. They see this as ‘snitching’. Peer pressure from older pupils is consolidating this belief and some pupils do not believe that the restorative approach, based around reflection, is having a positive impact.
"When staff do address behavioural concerns, some staff and pupils do not see the value of the approaches used. This is because some staff do not understand the rationale behind the behaviour policy.
"There is a lack of clarity in the policy. Practice is, therefore, not consistent across school. Leaders know that this must be addressed with some urgency."
Improving attendance remains a high priority for the school, with systems in place starting to have a positive impact for some pupils, but there is still work to be done, according to Ofsted. Oak Primary is thought to be one of the largest primary in Huddersfield, with around 455 pupils on the school roll.
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