Allerton CofE Primary School

Allerton CofE Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 28–29 February 2012 Inspection number 381838 Unique Reference Number 135210 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 381838 Inspection dates 28–29 February 2012 Lead inspector Mark Colley

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Educati on Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 315 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Turner Headteacher Helen Stott Date of previous school inspection 29 April 2009 School address Lingfield Approach Leeds LS17 7HL Telephone number 0113 293 0699 Fax number 0113 293 0699 Email address stotth01@leedslearning.net You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

Mark Colley Peter McKay Additional inspector Additional inspector Sheila Kaye Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Inspectors visited 14 lessons taught by 11 teachers and held meetings with pupils, staff, members of the governing body and parents and carers. They also observed whole-school assemblies and listened to pupils read. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documentation, including data on pupils’ progress; pupils’ work in a variety of subjects; the school's self-evaluation and improvement planning; safeguarding policies; and curriculum planning. They scrutinised 73 questionnaires returned by parents and carers, 80 completed by pupils and a small number of questionnaires returned by members of staff.

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Information about the school

Allerton Church of England Primary School is an above average sized primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above the national average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is increasing and well above the national average, as is the percentage of pupils at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and support at school action is below average, although the percentage of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average. The school has large numbers of pupils leaving and joining school at other than the normal times. The school meets the current floor standard. Early Years Foundation Stage provision comprises a Reception class and a newly incorporated nursery. The school holds a number of awards, Healthy School Status, the Activemark, Eco School, Investors in Pupils and the International

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Information about the school

School Award. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key Findings

 This is a good school, described by pupils as ‘a happy and friendly school’ with a ‘strong and caring community’. This is a view also shared by almost all parents and carers. The pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and exceptional cultural awareness is fostered well. As a result, the school is fully inclusive. Everyone is known as an individual and pupils’ diverse backgrounds and heritage are truly valued. The school is not outstanding because teaching and teachers’ written feedback to pupils to improve progress further are not consistently good or better.

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Key Findings

 Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage where the strong provision leads to good progress in all areas of learning. In Years 1 to 6, pupils make good progress overall, although there is some inconsistency in the rates of progress across the school.

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Key Findings

 Teaching is good. All teachers have good subject knowledge, provide a creative and vibrant learning environment and build excellent working relationships. The most effective teaching ensures that work is tailored to provide a high level of challenge for all pupils. It provides helpful feedback and guidance through marking and ensures that pupils’ understanding is checked regularly. These features of best practice are not yet sufficiently established across the school.

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Key Findings

 Pupils behave well and have a strong understanding of staying safe. Pupils have good attitudes to learning and their enjoyment of school is reflected in their rapidly improving attendance and full participation in the life of the school.

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Key Findings

 Overall, leaders manage performance well and their rigorous monitoring of teaching has led to improvements in its quality since the last inspection. However, the information gained from monitoring pupils' learning and behaviour is not always analysed or used rigorously enough to aid precise school improvement planning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is at least consistently good or better, and pupils make outstanding progress across all year groups, by ensuring that:  the marking and assessment of pupils’ work provide pupils with better guidance about how to improve their work over time  staff develop their use of questioning in order to involve pupils more fully in discussing their learning and to further develop their speech and language  teachers consistently use information on pupils’ progress to plan activities that meet the needs of all learners.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure leaders at all levels, including the governing body, more rigorously analyse and use information on pupils’ learning and behaviour to give greater detail to the school’s improvement planning.

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Achievement of pupils

All pupils make good and sustained progress over time from their starting points. All adults pay close attention to children's individual needs and quickly build a picture of pupils’ learning, particularly in cases where pupils join school midway through the year or key stage. They provide effective support through the good links they have with external health and care agencies. This ensures that disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, and the increased number for whom English is an additional language, make similar progress to their classmates.

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Achievement of pupils

Children start in the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and capabilities well below those typically expected for their ages. They make good progress in the Nursery and the Reception classes. They join Year 1 with skills below those expected for their age in communication language and literacy, but broadly average in most other areas of their learning. This good progress continues as pupils move through Key Stages 1 and 2. Daily guided reading activities ensure reading is taught well and consistently across the school. As a result, attainment in reading is improving quickly across school and is broadly average at the end of Year 2 and when pupils leave at the end of Year 6. Attainment in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6 is broadly average overall. Although pupils’ attainment in mathematics has been lower than that in reading and writing in the past, current attainment in mathematics is at least in line with other areas.

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Achievement of pupils

Observations of lessons demonstrate that pupils enjoy applying a wide range of skills to good effect, including reading, writing and communication across the curriculum. For example, Year 5 pupils used their literacy and information and communication technology skills (ICT) effectively to produce a video on their breakfast preferences. However, these skills need to be more consistently developed across all areas and classes. The overwhelming majority of parents and carers feel that their children are making good progress and inspection findings support their views.

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Quality of teaching

The quality of teaching observed during the inspection was good overall and this is reflected in the good progress shown in pupils’ books. All parents and carers feel that their children are taught well and this was confirmed by inspection findings. Teachers ensure classroom routines are made clear and are regularly reinforced. Relationships between teachers and pupils are extremely good and pupils demonstrate positive behaviour and excellent attitudes to work in lessons. Consequently, pupils learn well across the curriculum. Learning is structured carefully and all pupils contribute to lessons. Teachers generate high levels of enthusiasm for learning among pupils. This contributes well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and exceptional cultural development. The curriculum is well planned across the school. Teachers’ strong emphasis on the creative and performing arts throughout lessons engages and inspires pupils. Teachers ensure lessons celebrate and share the rich cultural diversity

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Quality of teaching

Where teaching is outstanding, pupils’ learning moves on at a brisk pace. Work is tailored specifically to the needs of individuals. This was most apparent in a Year 5 mathematics lesson where resources were specifically targeted to challenge and support pupils with great effect. The teacher and teaching assistant worked together continually testing pupils’ understanding and altering their approach as a result of this feedback. Pupils were given time to address individual targets identified through the teachers’ written feedback, and as a result pupils made outstanding progress. Similarly, outstanding teaching was seen in the Reception class where a wide range of creative activities supported children in the excellent development of writing and communication skills. Children displayed good knowledge and understanding of the world and effectively supported and extended one another’s play and learning. Occasionally, where teaching is only satisfactory, pupils are not clearly aware what

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Quality of teaching

they need to do next to improve, particularly in areas outside literacy, and this can result in their progress slowing. Similarly, in these lessons, work fails to fully support some pupils and challenge others. Questions are often targeted at individuals and inspectors observed some impressive examples of pupils’ learning being very effectively extended through questioning. Conversely, too much reliance on ‘hands up’ can mean that some pupils are not as fully involved in the lessons and miss vital opportunities to further develop their speech and language.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils are polite, courteous and respectful to each other. They conduct themselves well in lessons and they are diligent workers. On occasions, some pupils need gentle prompting to re-focus their efforts. Although a few parents and carers expressed concerns regarding behaviour in and around school, the overwhelming majority felt that behaviour was good. These views were supported by most pupils. Inspection findings support the view that behaviour is good over time. The behaviour management systems are effective and valued by pupils and parents and carers. Pupils’ attendance is improving and has increased to consistently average levels. Pupils value the rewards they receive for good and improving attendance and enjoy the element of competition linked to individual class attendance.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

All groups of pupils say they feel safe at school at all times. They understand what constitutes unsafe situations and are aware of how to keep themselves and others safe. A very small minority of parents expressed concern about alleged incidents of bullying. Inspection evidence shows that the school works effectively with pupils to raise their awareness of bullying. Pupils have a secure awareness of the different forms of bullying, including cyber bullying. They say that occasional incidents of name-calling are resolved quickly by staff, and that other forms of bullying are not an issue. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage clearly enjoy school and have settled into routines well. They play safely and happily together and individually, indoors and out.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher has an ambitious vision for the school and has steered it successfully through a period of rapid change, particularly in relation to the changing nature of its children and the community. Leaders’ and managers’ strong focus on teaching, learning and professional development has brought about better outcomes for pupils since the previous inspection. Accurate self-evaluation informs priorities for development. Work on these has improved the overall effectiveness of the school to good, showing good capacity for further improvement. One parent, echoed by others, wrote, ‘In my opinion this is a good and improving school. The children are happy, safe and well cared for.’

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Leadership and management

The school’s well-organised monitoring programme includes taking into account pupils’ views of school and their learning. Self-evaluation is based on a well scheduled and wide ranging set of monitoring activities. Middle leaders and the governing body are becoming increasingly involved in these activities. Although senior leaders have detailed information of all aspects of this work, they are aware of the need to analyse this information more closely to fully inform priorities for improvement and strategic planning, and evaluate the impact of their work. The governing body knows the school well and provides a good level of challenge and support. Members of the governing body use their expertise through committee work to give the school a strong strategic vision. They hold all leaders to account in school but agree they need to develop a more active role in monitoring the school’s progress for themselves.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is good and makes a strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The very creative and arts based approach is a distinct feature of the school’s ethos. The school involves visitors and external organisations to enhance the curriculum, such as sessions with the Northern Ballet, street dance and literary authors. The school actively encourages health and safety by promoting pupils in active learning about how to assess risks. A number of pupils have instrumental music lessons and some pupils are becoming skilful musicians. The curriculum is enhanced by the excellent enrichment provision, including an extensive range of trips, residential visits and sporting and other clubs.

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Leadership and management

Equality of opportunity is promoted well. This is particularly evident in the personalised curriculum provided for pupils joining the school during the year or key stage, some of whom are new to the country. This enables them to make good and often outstanding progress. The school is a friendly and inclusive community where pupils get on well with each other and discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. Safeguarding arrangements meet all requirements and staff are fully trained and vigilant about the welfare of pupils.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgemen ts that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils' punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils' freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Allerton CofE Primary School, Leeds, LS17 7HL

Thank you for welcoming us to your school and sharing your views with us both in person and through the questionnaires you completed. I agree with you that Allerton CofE Primary is a good school. Here are some of its particular strengths.

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Inspection of Allerton CofE Primary School, Leeds, LS17 7HL

 You are doing well in English and mathematics and you are making much better progress than previously.  You enjoy your learning because the teaching is almost always good and teachers make lessons fun and exciting.  The creative activities you undertake in art, dance, drama and ICT are fantastic and show the high levels of imagination you can apply in learning.  You all get on well together and take time to ensure everyone feels safe and happy, particularly any one new to school.

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Inspection of Allerton CofE Primary School, Leeds, LS17 7HL

Even a good school can become even better so we have asked your teachers to:

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Inspection of Allerton CofE Primary School, Leeds, LS17 7HL

 give you plenty of advice in all subjects about how to get even better  make sure that the work you are given is at just the right level for you and not too easy or too difficult  ask you questions in a way that helps you to discuss your learning and develop your speaking and listening skills.  Your headteacher and all the staff are keen to support you in your learning. We are delighted that you are proud to be pupils at Allerton CofE Primary School and wish you well in the future.

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Inspection of Allerton CofE Primary School, Leeds, LS17 7HL

Mark Colley Lead Inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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