Weetwood Primary School

Weetwood Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 20–21 March 2012 Inspection number 377664 Unique Reference Number 107897 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 377664 Inspection dates 20–21 March 2012 Lead inspector Philip Jarrett HMI

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

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 251 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Woolmer Headteacher Tarsem Wyatt Date of previous school inspection 20 November 2006 School address Weetwood Lane Leeds LS16 5NW Telephone number 0113 275 6349 Fax number 0113 274 5875 Email address bursar@weetwood.leeds.sch.uk 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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Introduction

Philip Jarrett Lesley Clark Her Majesty's Inspector Additional inspector Sue Eland Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. All of the teachers in the school were observed, most on two separate occasions. In total, 20 lessons were observed. Meetings were held with groups of pupils, members of the governing body and staff. Inspectors held a meeting with some Year 2 pupils to hear them read and to talk about their reading. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection. They observed the school's work, and looked at documentation, including the improvement plan, monitoring records, analyses of performance, and samples of pupils’ work. Questionnaires from staff and pupils were scrutinised as well as 106 completed parental questionnaires.

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Information about the school

Weetwood Primary School is an average-sized primary school. There are very few pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals. Around one quarter of the pupils come from minority ethnic groups, with the largest group being pupils of Pakistani origin. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs pupils is well below average. The school has received a number of awards, including Investors in People, level 2 of the Stephen Lawrence Standard and the International Schools award. The school is a ‘lead school’ for sustainability within the local authority. It meets the current floor standard. 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

 Weetwood Primary School is a good school with some significant strengths. It is not yet outstanding because progress in mathematics is less rapid than in English and the quality of teaching is variable.

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Key Findings

 Attainment is well above average in English. Standards in reading and writing are high and able pupils make especially good progress. Progress in mathematics is slower because teaching in the subject is less effective. The school devotes considerable time to the broader curriculum. This has limited the time available for the direct teaching of mathematics in some classes and cross-curricular work is not yet consistently effective in reinforcing pupils’ numeracy skills.

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Key Findings

 Teaching is good overall and has led to particularly good progress in English. Pupils are exceptionally keen to learn and thrive well when fully challenged. They enjoy lessons but their progress is limited in weaker lessons if the pace is slow or they are not encouraged to work independently. Work needs to be harder in mathematics in some classes in order to stretch pupils, including those with high prior attainment.

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Key Findings

 The school is an extremely orderly community. Pupils are happy and get on very well together. They feel safe in the secure and welcoming environment. Behaviour is outstanding. Pupils take responsibility for their own behaviour and respond with considerable maturity in their dealings with others.

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Key Findings

 The headteacher, supported by staff, has moved the school on in recent years. High standards in English have been maintained. Training and performance management for staff have rightly focused on further improvements to teaching. The curriculum has been extended and provides pupils with a wide range of stimulating experiences. It has a positive effect on pupils’ personal development through its strong emphasis on issues such as sustainability and appreciating the diverse nature of our society.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

  Improve progress in mathematics by:  reviewing the amount of time allocated to the direct teaching of mathematics and improving the reinforcement of numeracy skills across the curriculum  ensuring that the curriculum progressively builds up pupils’ knowledge and skills in mathematics as they move from class to class so that work builds effectively on what pupils have learnt previously.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Secure a consistently high quality of teaching throughout the school, particularly in mathematics, by:  enhancing the level of challenge in lessons for high-ability pupils  increasing opportunities for pupils to work independently  improving the pace of learning. 

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Achievement of pupils

Good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage means that most pupils enter Key Stage 1 with skills that are above national expectations. Attainment in English is well above average at the end of Key Stage 2 and reading is especially strong. Pupils’ knowledge of letters and sounds are mostly secure by the end of Key Stage 1 and they make at least good progress thereafter because of effective teaching and very good resources for reading, including a well-stocked library. Writing standards improved last year and around half the pupils in Year 6 achieved the higher Level 5. Attainment in mathematics is above average at the end of Key Stage 2, although not significantly so. While many pupils make good progress in mathematics, a minority does less well across Key Stages 1 and 2. The different groups of pupils in the school, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, achieve equally well.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils are highly positive about learning and make good progress in lessons. They are confident and articulate. They are curious about the world and relish a challenge. They respond well to opportunities to work independently, find things out, and use their initiative. They maintain their interest in lessons with great maturity and can sustain concentration for lengthy periods. Their learning is most productive when teaching is appropriately challenging. Where teachers talk too much or spend too long on activities, learning is limited. Pupils develop a range of skills well, including communication skills, and this prepares them well for the next stage of their education. Parents are pleased with the progress made by their children and this broadly reflects the inspection judgements on achievement.

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Quality of teaching

Parents, carers and pupils expressed positive views about teaching and the inspection confirmed that this is generally accurate. Teachers form good relationships with pupils. In the most effective lessons, learning is good because teachers’ enthusiasm and secure subject knowledge serve to motivate pupils. There is good use of up-to-date technology and engaging activities. In a Year 6 lesson, pictures, music, a film trailer and other imaginative activities were well used to stimulate pupils’ descriptive writing. On another occasion, video cameras were used to record pupils’ work in drama. More-able pupils are especially well challenged when lessons involve open-ended questions or activities, such as when pupils in Year 3 were encouraged to decide on the most effective ways of recording the results of an experiment in science. The teaching of mathematics is most effective when teachers use practical approaches or supply real-life contexts for work in numeracy.

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Quality of teaching

In some classes, including in mathematics, there is too much teacher talk or demonstration and this limits pupils’ involvement and slows the pace of learning. Lessons are not always planned carefully enough to challenge the most-able pupils and opportunities are missed to develop their independent learning skills. Teaching assistants take a prominent part in many lessons, sometimes taking on the main teaching role. At other times, they tend to be under- used and teaching plans do not always identify clearly enough how they can support and challenge pupils throughout the lesson.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils are very polite, courteous and considerate. They relate well to adults, including visitors to the school. The completed parental questionnaires confirmed that nearly all parents and carers believe that behaviour is very good. This is also what pupils told inspectors. Pupils confirm that bullying is very rare and the school does not tolerate the least sign of racism. Pupils get on well with each other. The school’s policies, including a charter drawn up by pupils, emphasise respect for others and understanding of the differences between people. Pupils understand this and behave respectfully to others as a result. Behaviour around the school is excellent and older pupils naturally help the younger ones. In classes, pupils behave well because they want to learn and because they like their teachers. Very good behaviour in classes helps to create a positive ethos for learning and enables the more effective teachers to be adventurous in their approaches in the knowledge

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Good quality training for pupils ensures that they have a very good understanding of safety issues, such as using the internet or mobile phones, road safety and being safe in lessons. Pupils know what to do if bullying occurs although it is uncommon and dealt with quickly. The school’s arrangements for lunchtime play encourage good behaviour and safety through a wide choice of quiet and physical activities that are well managed. Attendance has been above average in recent years and current initiatives, including work with parents and carers to stress the importance of regular attendance, have led to a further improvement this year.

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Leadership and management

Good leadership and management have helped to maintain high standards, especially in English, and provide a good sense of direction to the school’s work. The curriculum has been broadened in line with feedback from parents, carers and pupils and this has largely been successful. Pupils are enthused by learning about the world and being introduced to new topics. In the most effective lessons, there are good links between subjects. Work in subjects including history and religious education reinforces literacy skills well through opportunities for extended writing or detailed discussion. Topic work also identifies opportunities to develop numeracy through, for example, recording data in science and financial management in citizenship but this is not consistent and expectations are sometimes too low. Overall, the broad curriculum and very good opportunities for pupils to go on educational visits, play competitive sports and develop their musical skills, make a

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Leadership and management

positive contribution to pupils’ personal development. Activities, such as the Eco group, enable pupils to take some responsibility for their own learning and to find out about global warming and the implications for the school itself. Senior leaders have rightly focused on ensuring that as much teaching as possible should be outstanding. This has not yet been wholly successful and a variability in the quality of teaching remains. Monitoring of teaching is well structured but feedback to teachers has tended to be over-generous and too much focused on teachers’ actions rather than the impact on pupils’ learning. The school has correctly identified the most important areas for improvement, including standards in mathematics. Good support is provided by a knowledgeable governing body with a good understanding of the school and its context. Safeguarding is secure. The single central record is well organised and clear and there are

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Leadership and management

effective arrangements for child protection. The school promotes equality well both through its treatment of pupils and the curriculum. Discrimination is tackled firmly and links with schools abroad and the sponsorship of an African girl, for example, help to widen pupils’ horizons. Some aspects of the school’s provision have improved over time, including provision for pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development and the curriculum. The school has a good capacity to make the further improvements currently needed in mathematics and teaching.

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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 judgements 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 Weetwood Primary School, Leeds

We very much enjoyed meeting you during the recent school inspection. We had some interesting discussions with groups of older pupils and I enjoyed talking about reading with six Year 2 pupils. We think that nearly all pupils are polite, friendly and considerate. Many of you are very mature and talk confidently with adults. We thought that behaviour was outstanding both in lessons and around school. So, well done!

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Inspection of Weetwood Primary School, Leeds

We think that your school is a good one and should now aim to be outstanding. Relationships are very good and you all try your best. You like your teachers and usually enjoy lessons. Staff look after you very well. Standards are very high in English and most of you read and write very effectively. Standards in mathematics are not quite as high. We have suggested that the school should consider if staff need to teach more mathematics in some classes. They should also look at how numeracy can be developed in your topic work and the teachers can make sure that lessons get progressively harder in mathematics.

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Inspection of Weetwood Primary School, Leeds

Teaching is good. The best lessons are lively and enthusiastic. In these lessons, teachers set challenging work and give you opportunities to learn for yourselves. We think that all teachers should aim to do this more often and that they could also sometimes increase the pace of lessons to help you learn faster.

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Inspection of Weetwood Primary School, Leeds

Thank you again for your help during the inspection. We are pleased that you are happy in school and get on well together. It was a real pleasure to meet so many of you.  Yours sincerely

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Inspection of Weetwood Primary School, Leeds

Philip Jarrett Her Majesty's 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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